
T Sinclair's litK. IW5 



JOHN MARTIN BOLZiUS 



FIRST EVANGELICAL PREACHER F TH E SA L 2 B U R 6 CONGREGATION 
AT EBENEZER IN GEORGIA. 

BORN A D- DEC. 15, 1703. ORDAINED Nov. 11. |-33 



THE 



SALZBURGERS 



AND 



Cljw Jtsanbants 



BEING THE HISTORY OF 

A COLONY OF GERMAN (LUTHERAN) PROTESTANTS, WHO 

EMIGRATED TO GEORGIA IN 1734, AND SETTLED AT 

EBENEZER, TWENTY-FIVE MILES ABOVE 

THE CITY OF SAVANNAH. 



BY 

Rev. p. a. STROBEL, 

OF THE SOOTH CAROLINA SYNOD, AND PRINCIPAL OF THE FEMALE INSTITUTE, 
AMERICUS, GEORGIA. 



"Alii multa perficiunt; nos nonnulla conamur; Illi possunt; nos 
Tolumus." 

"Others accomplish many things — we endeayour to eflFect something; 
they have the power, we have the will." 



BALTIMORE: 
PUBLISHED BY T. NEWTON KURTZ, 

No. 151 WEST PRATT STREET. 
1855. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 

P. A. STROBEL, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

District of Georgia. 



STERBOTTPED BY L. JOHNSOX & CO. 
PHILADELPHIA. 



V -. 



ehtation, 



To my brethren in the Lutheran ministry, this 
volume is most aflfectionately and respectfully in- 
scribed; with the fervent prayer, that by carefully 
studying the history of the Salzburgers, and especially 
the unfeigned devotion and ardent zeal of the first 
preachers of the American Lutheran Church, we may 
all be stimulated to aim at a more elevated standard 
of piety, and consecrate ourselves afresh to His service, 
who hath redeemed us with his blood, and honoured 
us by appointing us his ambassadors, to reconcile the 
world unto himself. 

The Author. 



frefatt. 



This little volume is submitted to the public with 
an unfeigned diffidence, and with many apprehensions 
that it may not meet the expectations, even of those 
who have most warmly urged its publication. The 
means of information which the author possessed, 
were too limited, to justify the belief that the 
book could possibly be regarded as a complete and 
satisfactory history of the Salzburgers. It is, how- 
ever, to be hoped, that notwithstanding its many de- 
fects, a sufficient number of interesting facts have 
been presented, to render the work acceptable to those 
who read for instruction, and not to indulge a spirit 
of captious criticism. The author is sensible of his 
incompetency to do justice to the subject, and he 
would cheerfully have committed the undertaking to 
abler hands. If he shall accomplish no more than 
to rescue the Salzburgers from the obscurity into which 
they have been permitted to lapse, he will not have 
laboured in vain. The hope is cherished that, under 
the blessing of God, this work may be the means of 
kindling in the heart of every one who may peruse it, 
a sincere desire to emulate the lofty piety and Chris- 



6 PREFACE. 

tian heroism of those, who in the maintenance of their 
religious principles cheerfully suffered ^Hhe loss of 
all things," and have furnished an example of patient 
endurance, under every form of persecution, and of 
ardent zeal in the cause of Christ, which furnishes 
one of the brightest pages in the history of the 
church since the days of the apostles. 

P. A. Strobel. 

Americus, Georgia, March, 1865. 



|[t0ntmntkti0n torn i\t Sp^b d Bmt\ 
Carolina. 



" The Committee appointed by Synod to examine 
the manuscript ^ History of tlie Salzburgers and their 
Descendants at Ebenezer/ by the Kev. P. A. Strobel, 
beg leave to submit the following report : 

" They have carefully examined the manuscript, and 
cheerfully express their gratification at the judicious 
selection of the materials from various sources diffi- 
cult of attainment, by which a historical sketch has 
been given of the cruel persecutions, the Christian 
firmness, and devoted piety of the ancient Salzburgers. 

^' In recommending the work to the patronage of 
the Christian public, and especially the members of 
our own communion, they feel assured that the readers 
will be amply rewarded in the elevated standard of 
Christianity which this volume holds out for their 
imitation." 

John Bachman, D.D. 

L. ElCHELBERGER, D.D. 

A. J. Karn. 

November 13, 1854. 

7 



QnttniB 



CHAPTER I. 

The causes which led to the Colonization of America — 
French Colony in Florida — Colony of Massachusetts Bay — 
The Puritans — Intolerance of the Church of England — 
The SalzburgerS' — Contrast between them and the Puri- 
tans — Injustice done to the former — The Origin of the 
Salzburgers — Their persecutions by the dukes of Savoy — 
They embrace the Doctrines of the Reformation — Cruelty 
toward their pastor — The Valleys of TeflFereck — Their Re- 
treats discovered — Miximilian Gudolph — Salzburgers be- 
fore the Bishop's Court at Hallein — Renewed persecutions 
— Sympathy of Protestant States — Elector of Branden- 
burg — Corpus Evangelicum — Return of the TefFereckers — 
Duplicity and Treachery of the Catholic Authorities — / 
Penalties imposed on the Salzburgers — Banishment and 
Confiscation of their Estates — Severe Sufferings of the 
Exiles — Joseph Schaitberger — Remarkable conversion of 
his daughter — Schaitberger as an author — The Confession 
of Faith — The Salzburg Emigrant's Song — Persecutions 
under Leopold — Archbishopric of Salzburg — The City of 
Salzburg — Thirty thousand Protestants exiled — Their re- 
ception by Protestant States Page 19 

CHAPTER II. 

Charter granted by Charles II. to the Trustees for establish- 
ing the Colony of Georgia — The design of the colony — 
General Oglethorpe — English settlers arrive at Savannah — 

9 



10 CONTENTS. 



" Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge" — 
Interest on behalf of the Salzburgers — Arrangements to 
remove the Sakburgers to Georgia — Fifty families engaged 
for the first transportation — Provision made by the " So- 
ciety" — Liberality of the " Trustees" — First company of 
emigrants — Love of country — Departure from their homes 
— Incidents of their journey — The city of Augsburg — Hos- 
pitalities extended to the Salzburgers — Recommence their 
travels — Rev. S. Urlsperger — Effects of the sojourn of the 
Salzburgers at Augsburg — Revival of religion — Further 
Incidents — Arrival in the city of Frankfort — Conduct of 
the Burgers — Procession — Entrance into the city — Hospi- 
tality of the inhabitants — Departure from Frankfort — The 
Maine and Rhine — Arrival at Rotterdam — Rev. Messrs. 
Bolzius and Gronau — Departure from Rotterdam — Arrival 
at Dover, in England — Impressions made by the emigrant? 
on their English benefactors — Preparations for leaving 
England — Departure of the Purisburg, first ship with Ger- 
man emigrants Page 44 



CHAPTER IIL 

The Salzburgers at sea — Conduct during the voyage — Arrival 
at Charleston, S. C. — General Oglethorpe — Departure from 
Charleston — Arrival at Savannah — Sentiments of the emi- 
grants — Their reception at Savannah — Notes of Mr. Bol- 
zius — Baron Von Reck — Conduct of the Indians — Disem- 
barkation of the Salzburgers — Liberality of General Ogle- 
thorpe — Expedition into the country — Description of the 
country — Devout conduct of the Salzburgers — Ebenezer — 
Foundation of the colony — Location of their settlement — 
Uchee Indians — St. Matthew's Parish — Lord EflSngham — 
Town laid out — Salzburgers remove to their new home — 
Impressions in relation to the nature of the country — Baron 
Von Reek's enthusiastic description — Real character of the 
country — Assignment of lots — Hardships incident to colo- 
nization — Scarcity of mechanics and materials for build- 
ing—Other trials— Sickness and death among the colonists 



CONTENTS. 11 



— Extracts from Mr. Bolzius's journal — Influence of aflBic- 
tion — Arrival of a second company of Salzburgers — Im- 
provement in the condition of the colony — Progress of the 
town, &c J'age 57 



CHAPTER IV. 

General Oglethorpe visits England — Favourable condition of 
the colony — Trustees determine to send out reinforcements 
— Aid from British Parliament — Character of the colonists 
engaged — Highlanders and Salzburgers — Liberal terms 
proposed by the Trustees — Captain Hermsdorff and Baron 
Von Reck— The Trustees charter the " London Merchant" 
and the " Symond" — The " great embarkation" — English 
and German emigrants — Moravians under Bishop Nitsch- 
man — John and Charles Wesley — Departure from England 
— Storm at sea — Effect of the conduct of the Germans upon 
Mr. Wesley — Testimony of Dr. Jackson, President of 
British Conference — Mr. Wesley's spiritual condition — Con- 
ference with Mr. Spangenburg — Influence of the Mora- 
vians — Rev. Peter Boehler — Salzburgers confounded with 
the Moravians — Mistake of Mr. Bancroft — Removal of 
Moravians to Pennsylvania — Mr. Wesley's religious expe- 
rience — Extract from his journal — Subsequent visit to 
England — His conversion — Luther's preface to the Epistle 
to the Romans — Mr. Wesley's preaching after his conver- 
sion — Forms " Societies," the basis of Wesleyan Method- 
ism — The Methodist Church a fruit of the Lutheran Re- 
formation — Arrival of the " embarkation" at Savannah — 
Settlement of Salzburgers on St. Simon's Island — Views of 
the Germans in relation to war — Reinforcement at Eben- 
ezer — Lutheran settlement at Frederica — Rev. U. Dreisler — 
Revs. Bolzius and Gronau visit Savannah — Conference 
with General Oglethorpe — Salzburgers dissatisfied with 
their location, and desire a change — General Oglethorpe 
visits Ebenezer — Reasons of the Salzburgers for desiring 
to remove — General Oglethorpe's advice and kindness to 
the Salzburgers— Change of location determined upon 73 



12 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

New Ebenezer — Its location, and the plan upon which is was 
laid out — The environs of the town — Its rapid growth — 
Municipal and other regulations — Rules originally adopted 
for the government of the congregation — The duties of 
pastors set forth — Elders and wardens — Parochial schools 
— Church members, <fec. — Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg — Salaries 
of the pastors — Their responsibilities — Relation to the 
church in Germany — Sale of rum prohibited, and the in- 
troduction of Negro slaves — EfiFects of these regulations 
on the colony at Ebenezer — Mr. Bolzius, Rev. George 
Whitfield, and Baron Vou Reck on slavery — Position of 
Mr. Bolzius — Views of Hon. James Habersham and Rev. 
S. Urlsperger — Controversy settled, and slavery allowed — 
The Salzburgers and the Lutheran Church in Germany — 
Liberality of the latter — Education — "Bethany" church — 
Favourable condition of the settlement — Religious cha- 
racter of the inhabitants — Their industry, frugality, &c. — 
Letter of Mr. Bolzius — Rev, George Whitfield at Ebenezer 
— His testimony in favour of the Salzburgers — He visits 
the Orphan House — Letter of Thomas Jones — Principal 
settlers at Ebenezer up to 1741 — The invasion of Georgia 
by Spaniards — Another letter of Mr. Bolzius — Extracts 
from his journal — Statement of Mr. Benjamin Martyn — 
New arrivals — Emigrants bind themselves as servants — 
Frederick Helfenstein — Lutheran church in Savannah 
founded — Rev. U. Driesler — His death — Rev. Mr. Zublii — 
The town of Frederica — Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg visits 
Ebenezer — Mr. Gronau — "Jerusalem" church at Ebenezer 
— " Zion's" church — Extracts from Mr. Bolzius's journal — 
Death of Mr. Gronau Page 90 

CHAPTER VL 

State of feeling at Ebenezer consequent on the death of Mr. 
Gronau — Mr. Bolzius writes to Germany for an assistant — 



CONTENTS. 13 



His humility and devotion — The church in Germany send 
over another pastor — Rev. 11, II. Lembke arrives at Eben- 
ezer — His reception — Marries the widow of Mr. Gronau — 
Mr. Bolzius retains his position — Mr. Bolzius, as trustee, 
erects mills — Silk cultux-e introduced at Ebenezer — Mr. 
Amatis of Piedmont — Mulberry-trees planted at Ebenezer 
— Success of the Salzburgers in raising silk — Bridge and 
causeway over Ebenezer Creek — New church and school- 
house erected — Pastoral labours — Extent of the field to be 
cultivated — Goshen church — Abercorn — Extension of the 
settlements around Ebenezer — Demand for more ministe- 
rial labour — Rev. C. Rabenhorst arrives at Ebenezer — Mr. 
Bohius's letter on his arrival — Change of views — Pro- 
vision for the support of the new pastor — Condition of the 
colony — Mr. Bolzius assigns his trusteeship to Mr. Lembke 
— Copy of the deed of trust — The "Trust" to be transfer- 
red — Subsequent change — Erection of another mill — Mr. 
Bolzius begins to decline in health — The sj'mbolical books 
— Proper views in relation to the " Fathers" — Confessions 
and catechisms — Deep-toned piety of the first pastors at 
Ebenezer — Mr. Bolzius's labours — His letters — Rev. S. 
Urlsperger and Dr. Zeigenhagen — Close of his ministerial 
duties — His illness and death — Mr. Bolzius's family... Par/e 125 

CHAPTER VII. 

State of affairs at Ebenezer consequent upon the death of 
Mr. Bolzius — Increase of population and of ministerial 
labour — Transfer of trust to Mr. Rabenhorst — Harmony 
between the two pastors — Jerusalem church built at Eben- 
ezer — Description of the edifice — The Swan, Luther's coat 
of arms — Death of Mr. Lembke — His character as a 
preacher — Gottlieb Snider — Rev. C. F. Triebner sent over 
as successor to Mr. Lembke — His character — Marries a 
daughter of Mr. Lembke — Injudicious selection — Division 
in the church — Controversy between Messrs. Rabenhorst 
and Triebner — Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg arrives at Ebenezer 
— Object of his mission — His prudent and judicious con- 



14 CONTENTS. 



duct — The grounds of dispute stated — Elders prefer charges 
against Mr. Triebner — Origin of the difficulty — Dr. Muh- 
lenberg's efforts to reconcile the parties^His views of the 
case — Opinion of Mr. Triebner — Plan of settlement pro- 
posed — Reconciliation — Dr. Muhlenberg's reflections — His 
opinion of Mr. Rabenhorst — Exculpates him from all cen- 
sure — His estimation of Mr. Rabenhorst as a man and as 
a preacher — Dr. Muhlenberg's labours among the Salzbur- 
gers — Saves the church property from alienation Page 148 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Dr. Muhlenberg still at Ebenezer — Church discipline — Views 
and practices of the founders of American Lutheran Church 
— Evils arising from want of discipline — False views on 
the subject — The discipline adopted at Ebenezer in 1774, 
and duties of pastors, officers, and church members de- 
fined — List of church members who signed the discipline, 
as certified by Dr. Muhlenberg — Settlements at Abercorn 
and Goshen — Mr. Knox buys the lands at Abercorn — Mo- 
ravian missionaries brought over to preach to the Negroes 
— Labours of the Moravians at Goshen — Fears of Dr. Muh- 
lenberg — Moravians not successful — Advice to them by 
one of the Salzburgers — Fears of Dr. Muhlenberg not 
realized — Moravians leave the settlement — Dr. Muhlen- 
berg's successful labours at Ebenezer — He leaves Georgia 
for Philadelphia — Condition of the congregation at Phila- 
delphia — Reflections 164 



CHAPTER IX. 

Affairs at Ebenezer after Dr. Muhlenburg's departure — Ra- 
benhorst and Triebner — Pastors cease to be Trustees, and 
the trust transferred to the church officers — Mr. Raben- 
horst created first pastor — State of feeling between the 
two pastors — Inventory of church property — Its estimated 
value — Church funds — Views of the propriety of creating 
them — A case of necessity with the Salzburgers — General 



CONTENTS. 15 



state of the colony — Prosperity of Ebenezer — A fancy 
sketch — Commercial relations of Ebenezer — Gradual exten- 
sion of the settlements — New settlers come in — Commence- 
ment of the Revolution — Stamp Act and tax on tea — State 
of the public mind in the Province of Georgia — Position 
of the Salzburgers — Provincial Congress in Savannah — 
Salzburgers in that Congress — Majority of them side with 
the Colonists — Protest of a portion of the Salzburgers — 
Adherents to the Crown in St. Matthew's Parish — Patriotic 
and noble sentiments of the Salzburgers — Mr. Triebner 
sides with the Crown — Judicious course of Mr. Rabenhorst 
— His long and successful labours, and death Page 188 

CHAPTER X. 

Descent of the British upon Georgia — General Provost takes 
Savannah — British posts along the river — Mr. Triebner 
takes the oath of allegiance to the crown, and conducts 
troops to Ebenezer — A garrison established under Major 
Maitland — Proclamation issued by Major Maitland — Some 
of the Salzburgers take " protections" — Majority of the 
Salzburgers Whigs — Governor Treutlen — Holsendorf — John 
and Samuel Stirk — John Schnider — Strohaker — Jonathan 
and Gottlieb Schnider — Jonathan Rahn — Ernest Zittrauer — 
Joshua and Jacob Helfenstein — Sufferings of the Salzbur- 
gers during the war — Tories — Eichel and Martin Dasher — 
Marauding parties — Frederick Helfenstein and his two 
sons — General Wayne — The Salzburgers forced to abandon 
their homes — Sufferings at Ebenezer — Prisoners — Sergeants 
Jasper and Newton — Sacrilegious act of the British toward 
the church at Ebenezer — Other acts of cruelty — Mistaken 
policy of the British — Sad influence of the licentiousness 
of the British troops upon the morals of Ebenezer — Pastor 
Triebner — His removal to England and death — General 
character of the pastors at Ebenezer — Triebner an excep- 
tion — Dispensations of Providence — General Wayne at- 
tempts the reduction of Savannah — British troops with- 
drawn from Ebenezer — General Wayuo makes his head- 



16 CONTENTS. 



quarters there — British evacuate Savannah — Salzburgera 
return to Ebenezer — Scene of desolation — Condition of 
the church — Congregation without a pastor — Petition sent 
to Germany — Dr. Muhlenburg's concern for the Salzbur- 
gers — A minister visits Ebenezer — Dr. Muhlenburg's let- 
ter — Vindication of Mr. Triebner — Pastor to be sent in the 
spring — Despondency among the Salzburgers — Darkness 
begins to disappear — New pastor about to be sent Page 201 



CHAPTER XL 

The arrival of a pastor anticipated — Solicitude on the subject 
— The Rev. John Earnest Bergman arrives at Ebenezer — 
His early history — His qualifications for the ministry- 
State of affairs at Ebenezer and Savannah — Mr. Bergman's 
defects — Parochial schools — Mr. Bernhardt — Mr. Probst — 
Mr. Ernst — Increase of pastoral labours — Church in Savan- 
nah — Letter from Mr, Scheuber — Correct views of the sa- 
craments — Usages of the Lutheran Church — Mr. Bergman's 
marriage — His family — Mr. Bergman as a scholar — His 
correspondence — Parsonage at Ebenezer — Bishop Francis 
Asbury — His letter to Mr. Bergman — Improvement in tem- 
poral affairs — Bad habits among the Salzburgers — Want 
of church discipline — Disaffection toward the church — 
Members withdraw — Ebenezer Bridge — Ebenezer becomes 
the county site — Effects of this measure — County site 
changed to Springfield — The mills — Demand for English 
preaching — Letter from Bishop Asbury — Mistaken policy — 
Methodists in Savannah — Obligations of the Methodists to 
the Lutheran Church — Rev. Hope Hull — Jonathan Jack- 
son — Josiah Randle — John Garvin — Rev. S. Dunwoody — 
First Methodist Society in Savannah — Mr. Bergman relin- 
quishes the church in Savannah — Letter to Rev. H. Hol- 
combe — Savannah church without a pastor — Rev. S. A. 
Mealy — Salzburgers in other churches — Jesse Lee visits 
Ebenezer — Mr. Bergman curtails his labours — "Bethel" 
church erected — Personal difficulty — Letter of Rev. J. 
McVean — Efforts to proselyte — Lax state of morals — 



CONTENTS. 17 



Want of discipline— Mr. Bergman's grief at the condition 
of the colony — External prosperity — Spiritual declension 
— Death of Mrs. Neidlinger-— Mr. Bergman's health declines 
— His death Page 218 

CHAPTER XII. 

Gloomy prospects at Ebenezer— Rev. C. F. Bergman — Hia 
early religious sentiments— Calvinistic tendency — Attends 
the Georgia Presbytery — Letter to Rev. M. Rauch— Con- 
flicting views— Becomes a member of Presbytery — Re- 
ceives a call to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church — Dr. J. 
Bachman visits Savannah and Ebenezer — Interview and 
correspondence with Mr. Bergman — Mr. Bergman changes 
his views, joins South Carolina Synod, and becomes pastor 
at Ebenezer — His piety and qualification for the work — 
State of the congregation — Methodist and Baptist churches 
organized — Methodist church at Goshen — Rev. J. 0. An- 
drew—Delusion—A false Messiah — Strange scene at 
Goshen — Sad results — Rev. L. Myers locates at Goshen — 
His character, labours, and death — Temperance movement 
at Ebenezer — Mr. Bergman introduces English preaching — 
His marriage — His children— Temporal and spiritual pros- 
perity — Emigration of Salzburgers to other counties — 
Church in Savannah — Rev. S. A. Mealy — Rev. N. Aldrich — 
New church in Savannah — Rev. A. J. Karn — German con- 
gregation — Rev. W. Epping— Disafiection at Ebenezer — 
Other churches built up by Salzburgers — Mr. Bergman as 
a scholar — Trials — Indifference to education — Mr. Berg- 
man's sickness and death — Rev. J. D. Schenck — Rev. E. 
A. Bolles — DiflSculties at Ebenezer — Rev. P. A. Strobel — 
Death of Mrs. Bergman- Rev. E. Kieffer— Rev. G. Halti- 
wanger — Rev. J. Austin — Present condition of the church 
—" Father Snider." 249 

CHAPTER XIIL 

The town of Ebenezer — Its present appearance — The results 
of this experiment at colonization — The colonies in New 
2« 



18 CO^'TEXTS. 



England, Virginia, and the Carolinas^Ptoyal Historical 
Society of Austria — Inquiries as to the fate of the Salzbur- 
gers answered — Religious and social influence of the Salz- 
burgers upon the other colonists — Religions sentiments of 
the first pastors— Dr. Hazelius's testimony— Present condi- 
tion and pursuits of their descendants — EflSngham county 
— General reflections— Conclusion Page 278 



THE 



'al^krgers aiiir i\m gesmtknts. 



CHAPTER I. 

The causes which led to the Colonization of America — French 
Colony in Florida — Colony of Massachusetts Bay — The Puri- 
tans — Intolerance of the Church of England — The Salzburgers 
— Contrast between them and the Puritans — Injustice done to 
the former — The Origin of the Salzburgers — Their Persecutions 
by the Dukes of Savoy — They embrace the Doctrines of the 
Reformation — Cruelty toward their Pastors — The "Valleys of 
TeflFereck — Their Retreats discovered — Miximilian Gudolph — 
Salzburgers before the Bishop's Court at Hallein — Renewed 
Persecutions — Sympathy of Protestant States — Elector of Bran- 
denburg — Corpus Evangelicum — Return of the Teflfereckers — 
Duplicity and Treachery of the Catholic Authorities — Penalties 
imposed on the Salzburgers — Banishment and Confiscation of 
their Estates — Severe Sufferings of the Exiles — Joseph Schait- 
berger — Remarkable Conversion of his Daughter — Schaitberger 
as an Author — The Confession of Faith — The Salzburg Emi- 
grant's Song — Persecution under Leopold — Archbishopric of 
Salzburg — The City of Salzburg — Thirty Thousand Protestants 
Exiled — Their Reception by Protestant States. 

The colonial history of our country derives 
much of its interest from the fact, that many of 
the early settlers were those who had been ex- 
patriated for conscience' sake and were brought 

19 



20 THE SALZBURGERS 



hither by their high veneration for the gospel. 
Forsaking their country and their homes — sever- 
ing all those ties which bind man so strongly to 
the place of his nativity — abandoning the com- 
forts and endearments of civilized life, they came 
to the wilderness of America, that they might 
enjoy without restraint that great birthright of 
the immortal mind — "freedom to worship God" 
at "a faith's pure shrine." 

From the middle of the sixteenth to the latter 
part of the eighteenth century, companies of 
emigrants reached our shores from Great Britain 
and different parts of continental Europe, who 
were driven hither by the relentless persecutions 
of their religious adversaries. It is well known 
that those who came from England were out- 
lawed by the bigotry and intolerance of the 
Established Church. By the act of Uniformity, 
passed in the reign of Edward VI., the Church 
of England attempted to conform the opinions 
of all British subjects, as well as their modes of 
worship, to her Canons and Liturgy. As might 
have been expected, these efforts to enslave the 
human mind and shackle the conscience were 
boldly resisted, and hundreds and thousands 
preferred imprisonment, exile, and even death, 
rather than endanger their spiritual interests by 
embracing error, or submitting their wills to 
"the commandments and ordinances of men." 
Those who came from the continent of Europe, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 21 



were Protestants, who had embraced the doc- 
trines of the Reformation, as taught bj Luther 
or Calvin, as distinguished from the doctrines 
of the Church of Rome, and who were conse- 
quently driven into exile, by the prescriptive 
and relentless spirit, which has always charac- 
terized that church. 

As early as the year 1564, a colony of Hu- 
guenots, or French Protestants, was planted in 
Florida by John Ribault, under the patronage 
of the noble and philanthropic Admiral Coligny. 
The cruel sufferings endured by these devoted 
Christians during the reign of the imbecile 
Charles IX. and his perfidious mother, Cathe- 
rine de Medicis, compelled them to forsake the 
vine-clad hills and the beautiful vales of France, 
to seek in the wilderness of the West, a retreat 
from the sword and fagot of the persecutor. Of 
the unhappy fate of this colony it is not neces- 
sary to speak, further than to remark, that it 
was entirely destroyed in 1565 by Pedro Me- 
lendez, the inhuman agent of the bigoted 
Philip II. of Spain, who murdered all the colo- 
nists, and completely devastated their settlement. 

On the 22d of December, 1620, the colony 
of Massachusetts was commenced by the land- 
ing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock. 
These venerable men, as is well known, were 
from England, where, by their rigid virtues and 
their resistance to the spiritual domination of 



22 THE SALZBURGERS 



the Established Church, they had acquired the 
name of Puritans, then a term of reproach, but 
now synonymous with unostentatious piety, ster- 
ling integrity, and uncompromising opposition 
to every species of despotism ; and which shall 
be forever identified with the great principles 
of civil and religious freedom. By asserting 
the rights of conscience, and by refusing their 
assent to the unjust and unreasonable preten- 
sions set up by the Church of England under 
the sanction of the British parliament, they be- 
came obnoxious to the displeasure of their civil 
and religious rulers. Arraigned before the 
Court of High Commission, the Puritans boldly 
asserted the principles of religious toleration, 
and claimed the free exercise of their judgment 
in all matters of faith. But in the liberal views 
that they entertained, they were too far in ad- 
vance of the age in which they lived. They 
were consequently condemned. Hundreds of 
their ministers were deposed and deprived of 
their livings, and with their flocks, sentenced 
to imprisonment and the loss of country, and 
even of life. 

It was for these causes and under these cir- 
cumstances that the Pilgrims quitted the shores 
of England, and sought, among the savages 
of the New World, the free exercise of those 
privileges which they had been denied in the 
Old. Nor were they disappointed. Infusing 



AND TIIErR DESCENDANTS. 23 



their principles into all their institutions, civil, 
political, and religious, they prepared the way 
for the establishment of that great fabric of 
American freedom, which is now the pride of 
their posterity and the admiration of the civi- 
lized world. And by the influence which they 
exerted in shaping the destines of this republic, 
they have erected for themselves a monument 
which shall be coequal with our national ex- 
istence. 

Without stopping to notice other colonies of 
less importance, we pass on to the one which 
is more especially the subject of this little 
volume. We allude to the colony of Salzbur- 
gers, which was planted in Georgia in 1733. 
It has often been a matter of surprise, that so 
little notice has been taken of this colony in 
the various histories of our country which have 
been published from time to time. Like the Pil- 
grim Fathers, the Salzburgers were the victims 
of religious persecution: like them they were 
driven from their country and their homes on 
account of their unwavering attachment to the 
principles of the gospel ; and there is a striking 
parellel in their characters and their early his- 
tory. If the Puritans could boast of the vene- 
rable Robinson, as their pastor, the Salzburgers 
could point to their Bolzius and Gronau. If 
the Puritans were proud of Brewster and Car- 
ver, of Bradford, and Winslow, and Standish, 



24 THE SALZBURGER? 



the Salzburgers had their Von Reck, and Vatt, 
and Hermsdorf, and Dreisler, all men of mark, 
and who, in point of energy, firmness of princi- 
ple, powers of endurance, and upright and con- 
sistent character, would compare favourably with 
any of the fathers of New England. But while 
the story of the Pilgrims has been a fruitful 
theme for the historian and the poet, the Salz- 
burgers have either been entirely overlooked, or 
their history has been sketched very hastily and 
unsatisfactorily. This may be owing, in a mea- 
sure, to the comparatively secluded spot which 
they selected for their settlement, together with 
the quietness and unobtrusiveness of their cha- 
racter. Beside which, the prevalence of the 
German language among them, the little inter- 
course which they cultivated with their English 
neighbours, and the preservation of their records 
in their native language, have no doubt all 
tended to obscure them, and deprive them of 
that position in the annals of our country to 
which their sufferings, their virtues, and their 
influence so justly entitle them. 

The most satisfactory accounts of this inte- 
resting people which have been published in 
this country, are to be found in the collections 
of the Georgia Historical Society, Bancroft's 
History of the United States, Dr. Hazelius' 
History of the American Lutheran Church, and 
Dr. Steven's History of Georgia. But while 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 25 



these authors have done much to rescue the 
Salzburgers from the obscurity into which they 
had been permitted to pass, it was not to have 
been expected, from the very character of these 
publications, that ample justice could have been 
done to the subject. 

In attempting a particular history of the 
Salzburgers^ it must be admitted that the work 
is attended with difficulty. Many of their re- 
cords have been lost or destroyed, and those 
which have been preserved are so voluminous, 
and at the same time comprise so much matter 
that is of very little historical importance, that 
it would require months, if not years, of patient 
research to investigate them thoroughly. All 
that we shall aim at, therefore, will be, to notice 
briefly the origin of the Salzburgers, and the 
immediate causes which led to the planting of 
the colony in Georgia, with an account of their 
settlement at Ebenezer, and so much of their 
subsequent history as may be deemed of general 
interest. 

The Salzburgers were descended from the 
Vallenscs, a name derived from the Alpine 
valleys of Piedmont, and which was applied to 
all who had emigrated into that region, espe- 
cially from the East. The Vallenses had, for 
several centuries prior to the Reformation, op- 
posed the corruptions of the Church of Rome, 
and had consequently exposed themselves to 



26 THE SALZBURGERS 



severe persecutions, especially at the hands of 
the Dukes of Savoy, who waged against them a 
war of extermination. We may properly enu- 
merate in their history ten bloody persecutions, 
from the establishment of their church in the 
commencement of the fifteenth century, until 
their exodus, which occurred toward the middle 
of the eighteenth century. To escape the dan- 
gers to which they were exposed, and to enjoy 
the free exercise of their religion, they were 
compelled to secrete themselves in the most in- 
accessible mountains of Dauphine in France, 
and the Alps of Switzerland and the Tyrol. 
Here, in their mountain retreats, secluded from 
the enjoyments of more civilized life, amid the 
wild majesty and grandeur of nature, they wor- 
shipped God in the true simplicity of the gos- 
pel, holding communion with Him, "who prefers 
above all temples the upright heart and pure;" 
and acquiring continually, by a faithful improve- 
ment of their advantages, a fitness for that king- 
dom where the foot of the oppressor shall never 
enter, and the conflicts of the faithful shall end 
in everlasting peace and glory. 

Nor were they content in seeking their own 
improvement: embarrassing as their circum- 
stances no doubt were, they felt that it was 
their duty to embrace every opportunity to im- 
part to others those religious truths which they 
had derived from the sacred Scriptures. Hence, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



as far as their situation would permit, they 
were constantly engaged in efforts to dissemi- 
nate the doctrines of Christianity among the 
untutored inhabitants of those mountainous re- 
gions. And their labour of love was not in 
vain; for through their instructions, and more 
especially by the purity of their lives, hundreds 
were won to the cause of truth. 

But this favourable state of things, which had 
continued for many years, was interrupted in 
the commencement of the seventeenth century. 
The doctrines of the Reformation, as taught by 
Luther and Calvin, having been proclaimed 
throughout Europe, found their way to the re- 
treats of these devoted Christians ; and panting, 
as they no doubt did, for clearer views of reli- 
gious truth, they readily embraced the doctrines 
of the reformed faith, and identified themselves 
with the friends of evangelical religion. When, 
therefore, the Church of Rome determined to 
stop the progress of the Reformation, by perse- 
cuting and if need be, by exterminating all who 
favoured it, these devoted people again became 
the subjects of Popish superstition and rage. 
They were hunted like wild beasts by the emis- 
saries of Rome, and made to suffer every cruelty 
and indignity which the malice of man could 
possibly devise. One of their ministers, An- 
thony Brassus, was decapitated, ?ind, as if to add 
insult to injury, his head was nailed to his pul- 



28 THE SALZBURGERS 



pit; Others were scourged with such severity that 
they expired at the whipping-post; and every 
pastor who fell into the hands of the priests was 
put to death under the most revolting circum- 
stances. Nor were the lay members of these 
churches more fortunate than their spiritual 
shepherds. Some were blown up with gunpowder, 
others were driven into barns and houses, and 
suffocated, or made to perish amid the flames 
of their own dwellings. Neither age nor sex 
procured exemption from the cruelties of these 
inhuman monsters ; and nothing but the provi- 
dential escape of a small number, saved this en- 
tire people from extermination. 

Those who survived this persecution retreated 
into the secluded valleys of Teffereck. Here 
they remained undisturbed, maintaining their 
religious principles amid great poverty and 
distress, but still with unshaken confidence 
in God, though they knew not how soon they 
would be exposed to new forms of cruelty and 
death. At the expiration of about seventy 
years, (during which time Protestantism was 
supposed to be extinct in the Archbishopric of 
Salzburg,) a whole congregation of Christians 
was discoved to exist, and it was ascertained 
that it had maintained its organization and regu- 
lar worship for more than half a century. Tef- 
fereck is a valley of Salzburg, on the borders 
of the Tyrol, in the district called Windisch- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 29 



Matrey ; and in its solitudes and in tlie depths 
and darkness of its ravines, true faith seemed 
long to have found a safe retreat. The people 
had no minister or public instructor of any kind, 
but met together by night, in thick forests, or 
in the mines for mutual edification, by singing 
and prayer ; reading of the Scriptures, Luther's 
and Spangenberg's sermons, the Augsburg Con- 
fession, the Shorter Catechism, and other good 
books. These were carefully perused in the 
families of such as could read, and the doctrines 
which they inculcated were communicated to 
their children and more intimate associates. In 
public, they occasionally attended the services 
of the Romish Church and partook of the Sacra- 
ment, but they were still regarded with suspi- 
cion by the public authorities, and were stigma- 
tized by the priests as "Secret Lutherans." Still 
they continued for a long time to enjoy some- 
thing like peace. But as their numbers in- 
creased, they began to be watched more carefully, 
and the appointment for that suffragan of a 
priest who had been educated by the Jesuits, 
finally brought matters to a crisis. This man 
was exceedingly haughty and violent, and fre- 
quently denounced the pure doctrines of the 
gospel, which he suspected that these people had 
embraced. Hence their attendance at church 
became less and less frequent, and some of them, 
when there, arose and left the house when they 



80 THE SALZBURGERS 



heard what they regarded as the most essential 
truths of Christianity misrepresented and blas- 
phemed. The reigning bishop, Maximilian 
Gaudolph was speedily informed of the state 
of things, and he immediately cited two of 
their number before his court at Hallein. Upon 
appearing in his presence, he asked where 
their Lutheran books were, and demanded to 
know why they did not attend confession and 
mass ' Upon honestly confessing their senti- 
ments, they were thrown into prison and put 
into chains. During three days' confinement 
they were treated with the utmost severity, after 
which they were conveyed to Salzburg, to be ex- 
amined before a higher court. Here they were 
again asked whether they were Lutherans or 
Papists ; and upon their answering that they 
believed the Lutheran doctrines to be clearly 
founded upon the gospel, they were again im- 
prisoned for fifty days. While in prison two old 
Capuchin monks were sent to convert them, but 
these priestly confessors could not shake their 
faith, being themselves discomfited by the apt 
quotations that these humble Christians made 
from the sacred Scriptures. Reason, or rather 
sophistry, failing to make any impression, resort 
was had to torture and the most terrible threat- 
enings; but these witnesses for the truth re- 
mained firm. At length, they were required to 
furnish the archbishop with a written confession 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 81 



of their faith. With this demand they cheer- 
fully complied, and accompanied their confession 
with a very humble petition, that they might 
either be tolerated in their native land, or al- 
lowed to depart from it with their wives and chil- 
dren. This confession was drawn up by Joseph 
Schaitberger, a poor miner, who had enjoyed no 
opportunities of education out of his own family, 
but it is in all respects a remarkable document. 
It commences thus : — " Most noble Prince, our 
most gracious Lord : Those are truly strong and 
terrible words, which our Lord Jesus Christ him- 
self has spoken to hypocritical Christians, who 
deny their ftiith before the world, when he says : 
*He that is ashamed of me and denies me be- 
fore men, of him will I be ashamed, and will 
deny him before my Father and the holy 
angels.' Luke ix. and Matt. x. These words, 
may it please your princely grace, move us not 
to deny our faith before men, lest we should 
prove to be hypocrites in the sight of God and 
of men, which may God prevent." They then 
proceed to say, that his highness must be aware, 
that they had always conducted themselves as 
dutiful subjects, but that as regarded things 
spiritual, they felt themselves bound to obey 
God, rather than man; and while '^ rendering 
unto Caesar the things that are C?esar's, to 
render unto God the things that are God's." In 
reference, therefore, to the two points on which 



32 THE SALZBURGERS 



they were specifically interrogated, viz. the wor- 
ship of saints and the Lord's Supper, they would 
express themselves as simply as they could, in 
explanation of what they believed to be in ac- 
cordance with the plain teachings of the word 
of God. In doing this, they very clearly an- 
nounced their faith in the great doctrines of 
Christianity, especially the doctrine of justifica- 
tion by faith alone ; and occasionally refer to the 
Augsburg Confession and declare their agree- 
ment with its teachings. In reference to the 
Lord's Supper, they thus expressed themselves : 
"As it regards the Holy Supper and Testament 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, it rests most heavily 
upon our hearts and consciences, in view of our 
soul's salvation, as one of our highest duties. 
But that we have not hitherto drank, according 
to Christ's command, the blood of Christ in the 
cup, this we and our forefathers have ever 
lamented, for it is indeed written, < Drink ye 
all of it,' that is not only priests, but all men. 
Matt, xxvi." 

The result of this confession was a universal 
persecution of all, who were even suspected of 
having embraced these "heretical" views. They 
were refused employment, and their property 
was all taken from them. Their books were 
seized whenever found, and either torn or burnt. 
They were put to hard labour upon bread and 
water for fourteen days, and then required to 



AND TilEIK DESCENDANTS. 



recant. Some few were subdued by these cruel- 
ties, and such were required to renounce Luthe- 
ranism, as a new and damnable heresy, and pro- 
fess their faith in all the doctrines of the papacy, 
such as the mass, the intercession of the Virgin 
Mary and other saints, the sufficiency of the 
sacraments under one form, purgatory, &c. 
Others endeavoured to flee, with their wives and 
children in the dead of winter, and left all 
their earthly possessions behind. But not even 
this privilege was accorded to them by their re- 
lentless persecutors. Their children were taken 
from them, under the pretence of giving them 
religious instruction. From one thousand pa- 
rents who were driven from their country during 
the years 1684 to 1686, not less than six hun- 
dred children are said to have been taken. The 
accounts given by the fugitives of the indigni- 
ties and cruelties to which they had been sub- 
jected, finally excited the sympathy of those 
Protestant princes in whose territories they had 
sought for refuge. About the commencement 
of the year 1685, Fredrick William, Elector of 
Brandenburg, addressed a letter to the Arch- 
bishop of Salzburg, in which he mildly remon- 
strated against these proceedings, and expressed 
the hope that they were unauthorized by his 
grace, especially as they were in direct violation 
of the peace of Westphalia. He also intimated, 
that in the absence of every other consideration, 



84 THE SALZBURGERS 



prudence alone would dictate another course, as 
Protestant states might become so incensed by 
such conduct as to retaliate upon their Roman 
Catholic subjects. In June of the same year, 
the evangelical representatives, (Corpus Evan- 
gelicum,) assembled at Regensburg, also ad- 
dressed a remonstrance to the archbishop, who 
replied, that these people were neither Lutheran 
nor Reformed, and consequently could not claim 
the benefits of the treaty of Westphalia. But 
the evangelical body reiterating their demands 
early in the following year, and claiming these 
exiles as their brethren in a common faith, the 
episcopal government had no longer any pre- 
text for their violent and illegal conduct, and 
the Catholic authorities agreed to restore to the 
Protestants their children and their rights of 
property. Filled with joy and holy gratitude, 
a number of the Teffereckers hastened to their 
once happy valley, provided with every thing 
which was regarded as necessary to establish 
their rights as parents and citizens. Great, 
however, was their surprise, when the Salzburg 
magistrate, Wolff Adam, to whom they reported 
themselves, without giving them an audience, 
thus addressed them: "What are you doing 
here, you Lutheran dogs ? Where are your pass- 
ports?" These being produced, he continued 
his revilings while he sent for a priest to assist 
in their examination. LTpon his arrival their 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



packs were searched, and all their books taken 
from them, with this remark, "When we have 
our baking done, we will use these books to heat 
the oven." That night these devoted Christians 
were kept in prison under a guard of twenty 
soldiers, and the next morning they were ordered 
to pay a fine of thirty-four florins. Upon their 
demurring to do so, they were threatened with 
additional cruelties, until one of their number 
gave an order for the amount, to be raised from 
his property in the valley, upon which a guard 
conducted them over the frontier, and warned 
them never again to attempt to enter the country. 
Representations were duly made to the arch- 
bishop in relation to the conduct of his subordi- 
nates and an examination was professedly made, 
but the accused party escaped with a light repri- 
mand. Finally, the archbishop endeavoured 
to extricate himself from all censure, by alleging 
that the valley of Teffereck was not under his 
jurisdiction, but a part of the Tyrol, and so sub- 
ject to the Emperor of Austria. All represen- 
tations made to the Imperial court were equally 
unavailing ; and thus these poor people were 
stripped of all their earthly possessions. Nor 
was this all. Their wives and children were 
wrested from them, except when they succeeded 
in penetrating the country, and, despite the vigi- 
lance of the guards, carried off sometimes a 
wife, sometimes a child, or perhaps in a few 



36 THE SALZBURGERS 



cases, their whole family. During all this time, 
their sufferings were indescribable. Driven from 
their homes, they had no place of shelter. De- 
prived of all employment, they were destitute 
of the means of providing the necessaries of life. 
Going forth in the dead of winter, they suffered 
incredibly from cold and hunger, so that many, 
after reaching some Protestant state, perished 
from exhaustion. Still more melancholy was 
the fate of those from whom their children were 
torn, and given into the hands of their bitterest 
enemies, to be trained up under the most dan- 
gerous and ruinous errors. 

One of the most remarkable of these sufferers 
was Joseph Schaitherger, to whom reference has 
already been made as the author of the Confes- 
sion of Faith, which was presented to the arch- 
bishop. He was born on the 18th of March, 
1658, at Durenburg, in the district of Hallein, 
about two German miles from the city of Salz- 
burg. His parents were both pious and decid- 
edly attached to the evangelical faith, in which 
he was carefully educated. Being early taught 
to read by his brother, (who was a schoolmaster,) 
he soon manifested the deepest love for the 
sacred Scriptures, so that, like the Psalmist, he 
"meditated in them by day and by night," and 
consequently became intimately acquainted with 
them. He was condemned by the archbishop's 
court as a heretic, and his two daughters taken 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 37 



from him. He returned twice to recover them, 
but never succeeded. One of them, however, 
was finally restored to him in a most remarkable 
manner. Educated as a most zealous and bigot- 
ed Catholic, she had been taught to regard her 
father as a heretic, for whom there was no hope 
of salvation. When she had grown up, and was 
married, she became so interested in his eternal 
welfare as to make a journey to Nuremberg, 
where he was then residing, for the purpose of 
attempting his conversion. Her filial piety was 
rewarded ; for the conversations with her father 
were so blessed to her, that she became a con- 
vert to the true faith, and after vainly attempt- 
ing to induce her husband to follow her ex- 
ample, she spent the rest of her life, a voluntary 
exile, in Nuremburg, knowing that she would not 
be allowed to exercise her religion in Salzburg. 

After his banishment, Schaitberger at first 
supported himself by cutting wood and other 
severe manual labour in the city in which he 
had taken refuge. But his zeal for religion 
knew no abatement, and he devoted himself 
to the spiritual interests of his countrymen, 
especially those whom he had left behind in 
Salzburg. 

Besides visiting them on various occasions, he 
wrote letters and religious tracts for their instruc- 
tion and edification, and poured forth his devout 
feelings in hymns admirably adapted to their 



88 THE SALZBURGERS 



circumstances. The influence of these simple 
productions, though for a long time circulated in 
manuscript, appears to have been very extraordi- 
nary. It is not known at what time they were 
first printed, but it was certainly some years 
after their good effects became manifest. They 
were, however, at length collected into a small 
volume, which was eagerly sought by the vast 
body of Protestants, who seemed suddenly to 
spring up from the soil out of which, it was sup- 
posed, that every germ of evangelical truth had 
been eradicated. As that immense body of 
martyrs wended their way to Prussia and other 
parts of Protestant Germany, and even to Holland 
and America, they were everywhere heard singing 
his simple hymns, especially that which was call- 
ed "The Exile's Hymn," a translation of which 
is here appended. We are indebted for this 
translation, as well as much of the information 
in regard to Schaitberger, to Dr. Reynolds, Pre- 
sident of Capitol University, Columbus, (Ohio.) 
Schaitberger lived to see this great work of re- 
vival in Salzburg, as he died at Nuremburg, 
toward the close of 1733. His last years were 
rendered comfortable by the provision made for 
him by the magistrate of the city, to whom he 
had so strongly recommended himself by his 
unblemished life. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 39 



THE SALZBURG EMIGRANT'S SONG. 

I. 

I AM a wretched exile here — 
Thus must my name be given — 

From native land and all's that dear, 
For God's word, I am driven. 

ir. 

Full well I know, Lord Jesus Christ, 
Thy treatment was no better : 

Thy follower I now will be ; 
To do thy will I'm debtor. 



Henceforth, a pilgrim I must be. 
In foreign climes must wander; 

Lord ! my prayer ascends to thee, 
That thou my path will ponder. 

IV. 

faithful God ! be thou my stay ; 

I give me to thy keeping ; 
Forsake me not in this my day, 

Nor when in death I'm sleeping. 

V. 

Thy faith I freely have confessed : 

Dare I deny it ? Never ! 
Not though they call me " heretic," 

And soul and body sever. 



My ornament, the galling chain ; 

For Jesus' sake I wear it. 
And scarcely feel its weight or pain, 

"While in his faith I bear it. 



40 THE SALZBURGERS 



VII. 

Though Satan and the world conspire 
To seize each earthly treasure, 

If in my heart true faith but dwell, 
I'm rich beyond all measure. 



Thy will, God ! be done ! May I 
Still cheerfully obey thee ! 

And may thy arm of power and love 
Encompass still, and stay me ! 



Though I go forth to poverty, 
For Christ's sake, I am going. 

And see in heaven, reserved for me, 
A crown vnth glory glowing. 



Forth from my home I now must go : 
My children ! Must I leave them ? 

God ! my tears in anguish flow — 
Shall I no more receive them ? 

XI. 

My God conduct me to a place. 
Though in some distant nation, 

Where I may have thy glorious word, 
And learn thy great salvation. 



And though in this dark vale of tears 

I yet awhile must tarry, 
I know that thou to heaven, at length, 

My ransomed soul will carry ! 

"We come now to speak of the persecution 
which brought those emigrants to America who 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 41 



are more especially the subjects of this narra- 
tive. For forty years the persecuted Protest- 
ants who resided in the glens and fastnesses of 
the Alps had been permitted to enjoy their re- 
ligion in comparative quiet. But, as we have 
intimated, their doctrines were spreading with 
too much rapidity, and it was therefore deemed 
necessary, to interpose the strong arm of civil 
power to arrest their further progress. This 
persecution, which was the most cruel and ex- 
tensive of any that preceded it, was begun at 
the instance and under the direction of Leopold, 
Count of Firmain and Archbishop of Salzburg, 
who, having discovered that many of his subjects 
had renounced the religion of Rome, determined 
either to reduce them to submission or to extir- 
pate them from his dominions. 

The Archbishopric of Salzburg comprised at 
this time, the Suffragans of Friessingen, Ratis- 
bon, Passau, Chiemre, Seckau, Lavant, Briscen, 
Gurk, and Neustadt, and contained, according to 
some authorities, a population of not less than 
150,000 souls. We cannot ascertain exactly what 
was the proportion of Protestants within its juris- 
diction, but it must have been considerable, if 
we may judge from the large numbers who 
were compelled to seek a place of safety in other 
countries. This archbishopric was then the 
most eastern district of Bavaria, but now forms 
a detached province in Upper Austria. It is 



42 THE SALZBURGERS 



called Salzburg, from the broad valley of the 
Salza, which is made by the approximating of 
the Norric and Rhetian Alps. All who resided 
in this region were consequently denominated 
Salzburgers. 

Salzburg is the principal city in this district, 
and as a matter of history it may not be inap- 
propriate to remark, that it is a place of great 
antiquity. It was destroyed by Attila in the 
year 448, but was afterward rebuilt by the Ba- 
varian dukes, at the request of St. Rupert. It 
was the birthplace of the famous Paracelsus, 
and here his ashes repose. It contains the re- 
mains of the ancient Roman baths, from which 
many valuable antiquities have been obtained. 
The population is estimated at 15,000. It is 
the only fortress in Upper Austria. 

Returning from this short digression, we re- 
mark that the persecution under Leopold com- 
menced in 1729, and continued with unabated 
violence until 1732. The objects of his rage 
were sought out and pursued by the priests and 
soldiery of Rome, and experienced every species 
of outrage which an unbridled fanaticism could 
suggest. Resort was had to whipping and im- 
prisonment, and when these failed the unhappy 
victims were murdered or banished, and their 
property confiscated. All the natural and sacred 
ties of life were disregarded. Husbands and 
wives were separated. Children were torn from 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 43 



the embraces of their parents, and forced into 
monasteries for education in the Komish faith. 
During this persecution upward of THIRTY THOU- 
SAND Protestants were exiled, and compelled to 
seek for safety and peace among their Protestant 
brethren. Nor were the hearts of those brethren 
closed against them. Twenty thousand were 
received in the Prussian dominions, and many 
of them took up their abode in Wurtemburg, 
Baden, the city of Augsburg, and other free 
cities of Swabia. Some also emigrated to Hol- 
land and England, where they were received 
with kindness and Christian sympathy, and 
every effort made to relieve their wants and 
mitigate their sufferings. Though persecuted, 
they were not forsaken. Though they were 
forced to wander about as outcasts from the 
land of their nativity, yet God was with them, 
and in the course of his providence was prepar- 
ing the way, for their permanent escape from 
spiritual despotism, and was about to transplant 
some of them at least, to a better country ; 
where, freed from the fear of man, they could 
worship Him without molestation, and under cir- 
cumstances far more favourable, than any in 
which they had been placed in their much-loved 
fatherland. 



44 THE SALZBURGERS 



CHAPTER IL 

Charter granted by Charles IL to the Trustees for establishing the 
colony of Georgia — The design of the colony — General Ogle- 
thorpe — English settlers arrive at Savannah — " Society for the 
Propagation of Christian Knowledge" — Interest on behalf of 
the Salzburgers — Arrangements to remove the Salzburgers to 
Georgia — Fifty families engaged for the first transportation- 
Provision made by the " Society" — Liberality of the "Trustees" 
— First company of emigrants — Love of country — Departure 
from their homes— Incidents of their journey — The city of 
Augsburg — Hospitalities extended to the Salzburgers — Recom- 
mence their travels— Rev. S. Urlsperger— Effects of the sojourn 
of the Salzburgers at Augsburg — Revival of religion — Further 
incidents — Arrival at the city of Frankfort — Conduct of the 
Burgers — Procession — Entrance into the city- — Hospitality of 
the inhabitants — Departure from Frankfort — The Maine and 
Rhine — Arrival at Rotterdam — Rev. Messrs. Bolzius and Gro- 
nau — Departure from Rotterdam — Arrival at Dover, in England 
— Impressions made by the emigrants on their English benefac- 
tors — Preparations for leaving England — Departure of the 
Purisburg, first ship with German emigrants. 

While the scenes recorded in the latter part 
of the previous chapter were transpiring, events 
were occurring in England, which in the provi- 
dence of God, were destined to result in lasting 
benefits to the Salzburgers. In 1732, a charter 
was granted by Charles II. to twenty-one noble- 
men and gentlemen in England, constituting 



■k 



U-*^^' 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 45 



them a body corporate, by the name of, " The 
Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia, 
in America." The design of this enterprise, as 
stated by the trustees themselves, was not only 
to provide a home and the means of subsistence 
for the indigent inhabitants of Great Britain, 
but also to furnish " a refuge for the distressed 
Salzburgers and other Protestants." This colony 
was planted by General James Oglethorpe, who 
arrived in Georgia, with the first company of 
English settlers, on the 20th of January, 1733, 
and laid the foundation of the city of Savannah. 
No sooner was this corporation organized and 
its objects made known, than the " Society for 
the Propagation of Christian Knowledge" began 
to interest itself for the removal of some of the 
Salzburgers to Georgia; and as early as the 12th 
of October, 1732, they made application to the 
"Trustees" to aid them in their benevolent de- 
signs. The "Trustees" did not feel authorized 
at this time, to do more for the Salzburgers than 
to offer them grants of land in their new colony ; 
all the funds which they controlled having been 
raised for a different purpose. Steps were how- 
ever immediately taken, to ascertain whether any 
of the German Protestants were willing to remove 
to Georgia, and become British subjects; sub- 
mitting themselves to such rules as the " Trus- 
tees" might prescribe. "The Society for the 
Propagation of Christian Knowledge" opened q 



46 THE SALZBURGERS 



correspondence with several prominent Protest- 
ant ministers in different parts of Germany, in 
order to ascertain if the Salzburgers were dis- 
posed to avail themselves of their kind offices, and 
remove to the asylum which it was proposed to 
provide for them in America. 

From their correspondents the "Society" 
learned, that there were hundreds of the perse- 
cuted Protestants who were not only willing, but 
anxious to emigrate. This fact was communicated 
to the "Trustees," who, warranted by a special 
fund, recently raised for the purpose, sent in 
December, 1732, an invitation to fifty families 
of the Salzburgers to remove to Georgia. 

At the same time, the venerable " Society" 
proposed to pay their expenses from Germany 
to Rotterdam, and to furnish the means to sup- 
port among them a pastor and a catechist. 
Various causes prevented the immediate execu- 
tion of these plans. In the mean time, a liberal 
grant of money was made by the British Parlia- 
ment to aid the colony, which, together with 
three or four thousand pounds from private bene- 
factions, enabled the " Trustees" to carry out 
more fully the benevolent intentions of the 
Society. They consequently wrote again to 
Germany and requested that a portion of the 
Salzburgers might be sent over to England, to 
prepare for their transportation to America; 
and, in the mean time, money and articles of 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 47 



clothing were forwarded to the continent, to 
supply their wants and relieve their distresses 
during the journey. 

One cannot but admire the liberality which 
the trustees displayed, in the terras upon which 
they proposed to transplant these poor, perse- 
cuted Germans to their new colony. To such 
as were deemed worthy of their patronage, they 
advanced the funds necessary to pay their pas- 
sage and furnish sea-stores. On arriving in 
Georgia, each Salzburger was to receive three 
lots. " One for a house and yard within the 
town, and one for a garden near the town, and 
one for tillage at a short distance from the town, 
(the whole embracing fifty acres,) said lands to 
be a free-hold to them and to their heirs for- 
ever." In addition to this, the trustees engaged 
to furnish them with provisions until their lands 
could be made available for their own support. 
In consideration of these very liberal grants, 
the Salzburgers were to obligate themselves to 
obey the trustees' orders, and become citizens of 
Georgia, with all the rights and privileges of 
Englishmen. 

The necessary arrangements having all been 
completed, the first company of emigrants be- 
gan to prepare for their journey. These were 
from the town of Berchtolsgaden and its vicinity. 
One may readily imagine the varied sensations 
of these devoted Christians, as the time drew 



48 THE SALZBURGERS 



near wLich was to witness their departure from 
their homes and their country. True, they had 
there endured severe persecutions and trials ; but 
they were men whose natural affections had been 
refined by the mild influences of Christianity, and, 
with all its faults, they loved their country still. 
There, too, were the scenes of their childhood, 
endeared by all the fond recollections of early 
life, and hallowed by those religious associations 
so peculiarly grateful to the pious heart. Yet, 
how dear soever were their native hills and vales, 
and painfully pleasing as were many of the re- 
miniscences of the past, they could not have failed 
to realize that they were the objects of a cruel 
hate, and that they held their property and 
their lives at the disposal of a merciless foe. 
Beside, their religious principles, which they 
esteemed more precious than life, had been de- 
nounced as heresy, and the right to worship 
God in accordance with their views and feel- 
ings had been denied them. Thus circumstanced, 
how peculiarly grateful must have been the pros- 
pects which unfolded themselves to their vision, 
as they contemplated their removal from what 
might, with propriety, be styled the land of their 
captivity and cruel oppression, to a country 
w^here, freed from the restrictions now imposed 
upon them, and placed beyond the reach of their 
spiritual enemies, they could worship the God of 
their fathers without hindrance, and secure to 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 49 



themselves and their posterity a heritage of 
freedom. 

At length the day for their departure arrived. 
Behold now these pious pilgrims about to leave 
forever their country and their homes. " They 
were indeed a noble army of martyrs going forth 
in the strength of God, and triumphing in the 
faith of the gospel, under the severest hard- 
ships and the most rigorous persecutions. They 
were marshalled under no btTnners, save that 
of the cross, and were preceded by no leaders, 
save their spiritual teachers and the great Cap- 
tain of their salvation."* They carried with them 
no weapons, save their hymn-books and their 
Bibles, and as they journeyed they made the 
air vocal with their praises to Him who, though 
he had permitted them to be persecuted and 
even exiled, had not left them without protec- 
tion and friends, nor given them up into the 
hands of their oppressors. 

Setting out on foot, the direction of their 
journey required them to pass through Bavaria, 
and at almost every step they were exposed to 
insult. Whenever it suited the Catholic author- 
ities, these wanderers were turned aside from 
their course, and every effort was made to em- 
barrass them and render their situation unplea- 
sant. But no hindrances could check their 

* Bancroft. 



so* THE SALZEURfiER? 



zeal, no promises or threats could change their 
determination. Onward they march, through 
the midst of foes, until at last they pass the 
territory of Bavaria, and arrive before the gates 
of the free city of Augsburg, in Swabia. But 
the gates of that renowned city were closed 
against them.''' 

This was indeed a severe trial. In this very 
place, two hundred years previously, Melancthon 
and Luther had presented to the Emperor Charles 
Y. and the assembled princes of Germany, that 
venerable symbol of the reformed faith which 
from this city received the name of the Augs- 
burg Confession. '\' It was for embracing this 
confession, and for their consistent and unwa- 
vering maintenance of its doctrines, that they 
had endured so much persecution, and were now 
wandering in exile, seeking for a home in a dis- 
tant and unknown clime. However, though at 
first repulsed, the officers of the city, overawed 
by the Protestant inhabitants, reluctantly ad- 
mitted the emigrants, and their Lutheran bre- 
thren immediately made provision for their enter- 
tainment and the supply of their wants. Here 
for a season they rested, enjoying the kind hos- 
pitality of their Christian friends, and gathering 
from their sympathy and their offices of love, 
fresh courage and encouragement for the 



* Stevens. t Ibid. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 51 



further prosecution of their long and tedious 
journey. 

The news of the arrival of the Salzburgers at 
Augsburg, soon spread through the neighbour- 
ing countries, and now it would seem that the 
sympathies of evangelical Christians were gene- 
rally aroused on their behalf. Not only did the 
Lutheran pastors and their flocks manifest a 
deep interest in their welfare, but princes, pro- 
fessors, and students in the universities and 
colleges vied with each other in doing honour to 
those who, in obeying the dictates of their con- 
sciences and yielding to a sense of religious ob- 
ligation, had preferred banishment, rather than 
renounce their attachment to the gospel.* 

On the 21st day of October, 1733, the Salz- 
burgers recommenced their pilgrimage, after a 
discourse and prayer, and a benediction. This 
company of emigrants consisted of forty-two 
men, with their families, numbering in all seventy- 
eiglit persons. The arrangements for their trans- 
portation to Georgia had been previously made 
with the "Trustees," by the venerable Samuel 
Urlsperger, then pastor of the Lutheran church 
of St. Ann in the city of Augsburg, who be- 
stowed special attention upon them during their 
sojourn, and ever afterward watched over their 
welfare with the solicitude of an aflectionatc 



*' Steven?. 



52 THE SALZBURGERS 



father. On leaving the city, the Salzburgers, 
were furnished by their friends, with three rude 
carts, in one of which thej placed their baggage, 
while the others conveyed their feeble women 
and helpless children ; the rest travelled on foot. 
It was under such circumstances that they began 
their weary march, as pilgrims seeking a better 
country. 

The sojourn of the Salzburgers in Augsburg 
was not without its practical effects upon the in- 
habitants of the city. The power of the gospel 
was so strikingly exemplified in the patience 
and fortitude which they displayed amid all 
their sufferings, and they evinced a spirit of 
such deep and fervent piety in their general 
deportment, that by their example many were 
awakened, and the churches were blessed with a 
very gracious revival of religion. Thus, while 
they were flying from persecution, God Avas 
employing their instrumentality in multiplying 
the triumphs of evangelical truth. 

After leaving Augsburg, the incidents con- 
nected with their journey varied according to 
the religious character of the country through 
which they passed. At one time they are en- 
couraged by the hospitality and sympathy of 
friends; at other times, exposed to the scoffs 
and maltreatment of their enemies. To-day 
they receive every assistance which Christian 
kindness can suggest ; to-morrow they are 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 63 



threatened by their adversaries, and turned aside 
from their way by their intolerant enemies. 
But amid the most trying circumstances they 
were cheerful and happy, always looking up to 
the throne of God with joyful hope, and sus- 
tained by the promise, "I will never leave you 
nor forsake you." 

Pursuing their weary pilgrimage, they arrived 
at length at the Protestant city of Frankfort, in 
Nassau. The burghers of the city, hearing of 
their approach, went out to meet and welcome 
them, and extend to them a hospitable recep- 
tion. We can easily imagine with what warm 
enthusiasm these Christian men greeted the toil- 
worn exiles, and how affecting was the scene, 
as they embraced each other as the disciples of 
the same Saviour, and as the professors of a 
common faith. Their salutations being over, 
and the first gust of feeling having subsided, 
a procession was formed, headed by the pious 
burghers, and they marched into the city two 
by two. And how solemn and imposing their 
entrance ! No clangour of trumpets, no notes 
of martial music herald their approach. They 
pass into the city, not amid the shouts of the 
noisy multitude, but singing one of those beau- 
tiful psalms in which they had been wont, in 
their native land, to pour forth the pious aspi- 
rations of their souls to their Saviour and their 
God. This little incident speaks volumes in 
5* 



54 THE SALZBURGERS 



testimony of the truly devotional spirit which 
characterized these people, and shows, too, that 
their strength lay in the simplicity of their 
faith. 

At Frankfort, as at Augsburg, the Salzburgers 
experienced every attention which Christian aifec- 
tion could suggest and an ample charity pro- 
vide. After remaining here for a few days to 
refresh themselves, and to partake of the bounty 
of their brethren, they embarked upon the Maine, 
and soon found themselves floating upon the waters 
of the beautiful Rhine. "As they passed be- 
tween the castled crags, the vineyards, and the 
white-walled towns that adorn its banks, their 
conversation, amid hymns and psalms, is of jus- 
tification and sanctiiication."'^' Thus employed, 
the hours glided away, not only pleasantly but 
profitably, and they realize every day more fully 
the joys and consolations of that religion for 
the enjoyment of which they had sufi'ered the 
loss of all things. 

On the 27th of November they reached the 
city of Rotterdam. Here they were joined by 
their chosen teachers, the Rev. John Martin 
Bolzius, and Rev. Israel Christian Gronau. The 
former had been superintendent of the Latin 
Orphan House at Halle, and the latter a tutor 
in the same institution. These pious men, in 
the exercise of a truly missionary spirit, had 

■'•• Bancroft. 



AN.0 THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



55 



consented to relinquish the lucrative and honour- 
able positions which they held in the institution 
at Halle, that they might accompany the Salz- 
burgers to Georgia, and minister to their spiritual 
wants. Subsequent events showed, that this im- 
portant trust was confided to those who were in 
every respect worthy of it. Very little is known 
of the early history of Messrs. Bolzius and 
Gronau. All that has been ascertained in refe- 
rence to Mr. Bolzius is, that he was born on the 
15th of December, 1703, and ordained to the 
gospel ministry on the 11th of November, 1733. 

After staying for a week at Rotterdam, the 
emigrants, in company with their pastors, em- 
barked on board of one of the Trustees' ships 
on the 2d of December. Their passage down 
the English Channel was a long and tedious one, 
the weather having been boisterous and the 
winds adverse. 

On the 21st day of December they arrived 
safely at Dover, in England. Here they were 
visited by the "Trustees," who bestowed on 
them every attention which their circumstances 
seemed to require. Nor did they fail to engage 
the sympathies of their English friends. Their 
piety and humility, their exemplary conduct 
under all circumstances, together with the suf- 
ferings and privations which they had endured 
in the cause of Christian truth, commended 
them to the confidence and the kind regards of 



56 THE SALZBUEGERS 



all who were capable of appreciating their vir- 
tues or pitying their wrongs. 

The arrangements for their voyage to America 
were made with all reasonable despatch, and the 
28th day of December was fixed upon as the 
time for their departure for their new homes. 
The Trustees administered to each Salzburger 
an "oath of strict piety, loyalty, and fidelity," 
after which they spent several hours in devo- 
tional exercises.* Their pastor preached to 
them an appropriate sermon from the words, 
(Isa. xlix. 10,) " He that hath mercy on them 
will lead them." In this address he endea- 
voured, by reviewing the mercies which they 
had experienced under the most trying circum- 
stances, to inspire them with fresh confidence 
in the goodness of God. He encouraged them 
to believe, that He who had hitherto been their 
protector, and had defended them against all 
the machinations of their enemies, would watch 
over them amidst the dangers of the trackless 
ocean, as well as those to which they might be 
exposed in the strange land whither they were 
going. After singing a hymn and uniting in 
prayer, the Purisburg, (the first ship conveying 
German emigrants,) unfolded her sails, and the 
first company of Salzburgers who were to aid in 
the colonization of Georgia, departed for their 
distant home. 

* Stevens. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 57 



CHAPTER III. 

The Salzburgers at sea — Conduct during the voyage — Arrival 
at Charleston, S. C. — General Oglethorpe — Departure from 
Charleston — Arrival at Savannah — Sentiments of the emigrants 
— Their reception at Savannah — Notes of Mr. Bolzius — Baron 
Von Reck — Conduct of the Indians — Disembarkation of the 
Salzburgers — Liberality of General Oglethorpe — Expedition 
into the country — Description of the country — Devout conduct 
of the Salzburgers — Ebenezer — Foundation of the colony — 
Location of their settlement — Uchee Indians — St. Matthew's 
Parish — Lord Effingham — Town laid out — Salzburgers remove 
to their new home — Impressions in relation to the nature of the 
country — Baron Von Reek's enthusiastic description — Real cha- 
racter of the country — Assignment of lots — Hardships incident 
to colonization — Scarcity of mechanics and materials for building 
— Other trials — Sickness and death among the colonists — Ex- 
tracts from .Mr. Bolzius' journal — Influence of affliction — Arri- 
val of a second company of Salzburgers — Improvement in the 
condition of the colony — Progress of the town, &c. 

To one who has always resided at a distance 
from the sea-board, few objects appear more 
awfully grand than the mighty ocean, with its 
seemingly boundless space of waters. Nowhere 
will man be more fully impressed with a sense 
of his dependence than when he is isolated from 
the rest of the world, and left to the mercy of 
the winds and waves. If at any time the soul 
is disposed for holy contemplation, it must bo 



58 THE SALZBURGERS 



when man is removed far away from human 
succour and in the consciousness of his own help- 
lessness is forced to meditate upon the power 
and goodness of his Creator. 

Such was now the situation of the Salzbur- 
gers. Coming from the interior of Europe, 
they knew nothing of the ocean, except what 
they had heard; and to them the perils of a 
voyage at sea no doubt assumed a fearful cha- 
racter. Launched upon its bosom, every thing 
was new to them, and they knew not which to 
admire most, its strangeness or its sublimity. 
But though its wonders inspired them with awe 
and humility, their hearts, sustained by a holy 
fortitude, experienced no fear ; and no sooner did 
the shores of England vanish from their vision, 
than they broke forth in psalms of praise to Him 
" who measures the waters in the hollow of His 
hands." Every day furnished them with new 
subjects of contemplation. The ocean hushed 
into repose, or lashed by the winds into furious 
commotion ; the dark and lowering storm howl- 
ing through their vessel ; the gentle breezes 
wafting them gayly on their course, all supply 
them with themes of thanksgiving, and awaken 
in their souls new emotions of gratitude. 

Nor did they, in the exciting scenes which 
surrounded them, neglect their spiritual im- 
provement. Blessed with the presence of two 
pious teachers, much of their time was spent in 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



religious conversation. Daily worship was ob- 
served; and when the Sabbath arrived, their 
ship became their Bethel, where they were 
favored with the faithful preaching of the gos- 
pel, and enjoyed, as far as their situation would 
permit, all the privileges of the sanctuary. 

After a perilous passage of one hundred and 
four days, they reached Charleston, S. C, early 
in March, 1734. Here they providentially met 
General Oglethorpe, who had gone thither for 
the purpose of making a voyage to England, with 
a view to procure reinforcements for the colony. 
As soon, however, as he heard of the arrival of 
the Salzburgers, with his usual benevolence of 
heart he relinquished his intended journey, and 
returned to Georgia to aid these exiles in making 
an advantageous settlement. 

Remaining in Charleston a few days, the 
Salzburgers re-embarked on the 9th day of 
March. On the 11th they entered the Savan- 
nah River. This, according to the Lutheran 
Calendar, was "Reminiscere Sunday." Here 
was indeed a striking coincidence, and the oc- 
casion suggested a train of very pleasing reflec- 
tions. No doubt they recalled the memories of 
other days, when they endured so much afflic- 
tion for conscience sake ; and in dwelling upon 
the scenes of trial through which they had 
passed, the kindness with which God had safely 
conducted them through every danger, and the 



60 THE SALZBURGERS 



favourable prospects which now opened to 
them, their hearts were oppressed by a sense of 
gratitude too great for utterance. But amid 
the associations of this hallowed day their minds 
were calm. The promises of peace and mercy 
tranquillized their spirits, and no anxious cares 
for the future disturbed their repose. One of 
their number, in a letter to a friend in Germany, 
speaks thus of this occasion : " While we lay 
off the banks of our dear Georgia, in a very 
lovely calm, and heard the birds singing sweetly, 
all was cheerful on board. It was really edify- 
ing to us, that we came to the borders of the 
promised land this day, when, as we are taught 
by its lessons from the gospel, Jesus came to 
the sea-coast after he had endured persecution 
and rejection by his countrymen."* To com- 
memorate this day, it was resolved to celebrate 
it as an annual festival of thanksgiving to God ; 
and this practice was observed for a very long 
period. 

On the 12th of March the Salzburgers reached 
Savannah, and here a truly cordial reception 
was given them. They were greeted with the 
acclamations of the colonists, and entertained with 
every mark of hospitality. General Oglethorpe 
himself went down to the river to meet and wel- 
come them to their new homes, and with his accus- 
tomed liberality offered to give them any of the un- 

* Stevens. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 61 



appropriated lands upon which they might prefer 
to settle, and to furnish them with every facility 
that he could command. Such were the favour- 
able circumstances under which these pilgrims 
reached the land of their adoption. 

Mr. Bolzius, in his journal, under date of 
March 11, 1734, says, '^ At the place of our 
landing almost all the inhabitants of Savannah 
were gathered together. They fired off some 
cannon, and cried huzza ! which was answered 
by our sailors, and other English people in our 
ship, in the same manner. A good dinner was 
prepared for us. We, the commissary, and 
Dr. Twifiler, our physician were lodged in the 
house of the Rev. Mr. Quincy, the English mis- 
sionary." 

Baron Von Reck thus records the same event : 
" The citizens returned our salute of five guns with 
three ; and all the magistrates, the citizens, and the 
Indians came to the river side. The two divines, 
(Messrs. Bolzius and Gronau,) Mr. Dunbar, some 
others, and myself went ashore in a boat. We 
were received with all possible demonstrations 
of joy, friendship, and civility. The Indians 
reached their hands to me, as a testimony of 
their joy also for our arrival. The Salzburgers 
came on shore after us, and we immediately 
pitched a tent for them in the square of the 
town." 

The Salzburgers having all safely disem- 
G 



62 THE SALZBURGERS 



barked, the next object of interest was to select 
a location for their settlement. General Ogle- 
thorpe informed Baron Von Reck (who con- 
ducted this expedition) that his people might 
exercise their own choice in this particular 
This fact being communicated to them, thejf 
expressed a desire to be removed to some dis- 
tance from the sea, where the scenery was diver- 
sified with hill and dale, and they might be 
supplied with springs of water. This wish, no 
doubt, originated in the associations connected 
with home, such having been the nature of the 
country in which they had been reared. To 
carry out their views, Greneral Oglethorpe, in 
company with Paul Jenys, Esq., Speaker of the 
South Carolina House of Assembly, Baron Von 
Reck, Mr. Gronau, Dr. Twiffler, their physician, 
and one of the Lutheran elders, together with 
some Indians, made a tour of observation into 
the adjoining country, while the great body of 
the Germans remained in the city to rest them- 
selves from the effects of their long and tedious 
voyage. 

The "corps of observation," in the accom- 
plishment of their mission, penetrated nearly 
thirty miles into the interior, where they disco- 
vered a location which, it was supposed, would 
meet the wishes of the emigrants. The place 
was described as being on " the banks of a 
river of clear water, the sides high, the country 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 63 



of the neighbourhood hilly, with valleys of rich 
cane-land, intermixed with little brooks and 
springs of water." The Salzburgers who were 
of this company expressed themselves as highly 
gratified with the situation and the general ap- 
pearance of the country. But as they had been 
wont to sanctify every act by thanksgiving and 
prayer, and as the events of this day would 
probably exert an important influence upon their 
future prosperity, they meekly bowed beside the 
water, and invoked the divine protection and 
blessing. They finished their journey, as they 
commenced it, with fervent praise to God for 
his great goodness as displayed in their past 
history, but especially in bringing them to so 
goodly a land. After singing a psalm, they set 
up a rock, which they found upon the spot, and, 
in the spirit of the pious Samuel, named the 
place Ebenezer, (the stone of help,) for they 
could truly say, «' Hitherto the Lord hath helped 
us." Thus, with devout gratitude to God, and 
humble reliance upon his goodness, the founda- 
tion was laid for the Colony of the Salz- 
burgers. 

It may be well here to remark that the lands 
alloted to the Salzburgers bordered on the pos- 
sessions of the Uchee Indians, from whom Gene- 
ral Oglethorpe obtained them some time pre- 
viously. It is worthy of note that though these 
Indians were near neighbours to the Germans, 



64 THE SALZBUKGERS 

they never manifested any hostile disposition. 
On the contrary, there is reason to believe that 
the most friendly relations always subsisted be- 
tween them. It may be proper to state here 
that the place selected was about tw^enty-five 
miles from the city of Savannah, in a district 
of country afterward known as St. Matthew's 
Parish, and subsequently erected into a county, 
which was called Effingham, after an English 
nobleman — Lord Effingham — who defended, in 
the British Parliament, in 1775, the resistance 
of the American Colonies to the usurpations of 
the mother country, and resigned his commis- 
sion in the British army when he ascertained 
that his regiment was about to be ordered to 
America, to aid in enforcing the unjust exac- 
tions of the crown. The county still bears that 
title. 

The site for a settlement having been agreed 
upon. General Oglethorpe marked out the town, 
and sent up workmen to assist the colonists in 
clearing lands and erecting temporary dwellings, 
which consisted of tents and sheds constructed 
of rough planks. In a few weeks, the prepara- 
tions for the accommodation of the settlers being 
in a suitable state of forwardness, the whole 
body of Germans, in company with their pastors, 
went up to their new homes at Ebenezer. Here 
in the wilderness of Georgia, far distant from 
the land of their birth and the graves of their 



AND THEIR DESCtlNBANTS. 65 



fathers, these exiles ended their wanderings^ 
and found at last a resting-place, where, freed 
from the censorship of man, and unawed by 
fears of violence, they could enjoy repose and 
worship God, "under their own vine and fig- 
tree." Hitherto they had been driven from 
place to place, and nowhere had they found 
*'A sheltering home of sympath}^ and love." 
But now their conflicts were measurably ended. 
The providence of God had placed them beyond 
the reach of persecution, and they could erect 
their spiritual temples, enjoy the teachings of 
their faithful pastors, rear their offspring to 
virtue and to usefulness under the benign in» 
fluences of the gospel ; and living in the grateful 
use of the bounties of a kind Providence, and 
the faithful improvement of the means of grace, 
pass their days in contentment and peace, and 
acquire continually a fitness for that still more 
glorious heritage prepared for them in heaven. 

We may learn from the journal of Baron Von 
Reck how the Salzburgers esteemed their new 
residence. He states that "the lands are en- 
closed between two rivers which fall into the 
Savannah. The town is to be built near the 
largest, which is called Ebenezer, in remem- 
brance that God has brought them hither. It 
is navigable, being twelve feet deep. A little 
rivulet, whose water is clear as crystal, glides by 
the town. Another runs through it and both 

0^ 



66 THE SALZBURQERS 



fall into the Ebenezer. The woods here are not 
so thick as in other places. The sweet zephyrs 
preserve a delicious coolness, notwithstanding 
the scorching beams of the sun. There are very 
fine meadows, in which a great quantity of hay 
might be made with very little trouble. The 
hillocks are also very fit for vines. The cedar, 
walnut, pine, cypress, and oak make the great- 
est part of the woods. There are likewise a 
great quantity of myrtle-trees, out of which 
they extract, by boiling the berries, a green 
wax very proper to make candles with. There 
is much sassafras, and a great quantity of those 
plants of which indigo is made, and an abun- 
dance of China-root. The earth is so fertile, 
that it will bring forth any thing that can be 
sown or planted in it, whether fruits, herbs, or 
trees. There are wild vines, which run up to 
the tops of the tallest trees, and the country is 
so good that any one may ride in full gallop 
twenty or thirty miles. As to game, here are 
eagles, wild turkeys, roe-bucks, wild goats, 
stags, wild cows, horses, hares, partridges, and 
buffaloes." 

To one living at this distant period, and who 
is at all acquainted with the locality of old 
Ebenezer, and the general character of the sur- 
rounding country, the above description by the 
enthusiastic baron appears to partake somewhat 
of the marvellous. We must either make con- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 67 



siderable allowances for the warmth of his ima- 
gination, or conclude that the country has under- 
gone a very great change. The site of their 
town was about four miles below Springfield, the 
present seat of justice for Effingham county, in 
a region which is composed of hills and plains 
that are very sterile, and upon which no one, 
having a correct knowledge of the character of 
the soil, would ever think of settling a farm. 
But circumstanced as the Salzburgers were, 
exiled from their country and worn out by the 
fatigue of travelling both by sea and by land, 
they no doubt were inclined to regard with 
favour any spot, which promised them rest from 
their toils and a period to their cruel suiferings. 
Upon the arrival of the Salzburgers at Eben- 
ezer, it was deemed proper to assign a lot of 
land to each family, according to the design of 
the Trustees. This having been done, arrange- 
ments were made for the erection of more per- 
mament and comfortable dwellings, and a plan 
was adopted for a house of worship. But now 
these devoted people were to experience many 
of the difficulties and hardships which are 
always incident upon a new settlement. In 
building their houses, they were very much hin» 
dered by the scarcity of materials. It is true, 
the Trustees had furnished a supply of plank 
and other timber, but not in sufficient quantities 
to meet the demand of the settlers. Besides, 



68 THE SALZBURGERS 



there were among them very few mechanics ; and 
not being able to erect either saw or grist mills, 
their situation became very trying. In a newly- 
settled country, too, the means of transportation 
were necessarily very limited; and having no 
boats or wagons of their own, they were entirely 
dependant on the government for the conveyance 
of their supplies ; and such were the straits to 
which they were at times reduced, that they 
were compelled to carry their provisions upon 
their backs from Savannah, a distance of twenty- 
five miles. To add to their sufferings, much 
sickness prevailed among them, superinduced no 
doubt, by exposure and excessive fatigue in a 
warm climate. The mortality which ensued was 
very distressing ; but we learn from the journal 
of Pastor Bolzius, that those who became 
victims to disease and death endured their 
afflictions with Christian resignation, and closed 
their earthly pilgrimage with joy and triumph. 

Among those of whom special mention is 
made, was a Mrs. Goshwandel. Speaking of 
her, Mr. Bolzius remarks : " It had pleased 
Almighty God to lead her through tedious and 
painful hours previous to her death. She im- 
proved the Passion Week to derive spiritual 
strength and comfort from contemplating the 
sufferings of her Saviour, and would have been 
rejoiced had the Lord called her home on the 
anniversary of his death. No complaints es- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 69 



caped her lips; and wlien visitors noticed her 
distress, she would say : < Our Lord is kind to 
me, and he can restore me, if it is his will, and 
resignation to that will is all I desire.' God 
granted her great comfort during the last mo- 
ments of her life." 

Speaking of a visit to another about the same 
time, Mr. Bolzius remarks : " Our sick friend 
expressed his dissatisfaction with himself on 
account of his negligence and carelessness 
toward all that was most valuable to man ; he 
observed that the zeal he had felt during the 
persecutions in Salzburg had left him, which 
grieved him very much. He remembered per- 
fectly well, he said, how the most ignorant peo- 
ple in Salzburg had frequently assembled in 
mountains and among the cliffs of rocks for the 
purpose of singing, praying, and the reading of 
the Scriptures, being full of hunger and thirst 
after the word ; and how they had experienced 
the goodness and mercy of God in these meet- 
ings. In this frame he expired." In recording 
the death of another person, this faithful pastor 
says : " To-day our friend departed this life. 
In the midst of great pain, her trust and con- 
fidence were in the will of the Lord, and she 
was anxious to be with him." 

Having visited a sick man by the name of 
Schofpach, the pastor states: "I found him 
very low-spirited, and spoke to him about our 



70 THE SALZBURGERS 



dear Saviour, setting forth to him how we might 
both live and die happily in communion with 
Christ. He assented to all that I had said, and 
stated that he was now experiencing that man, 
in himself, was nothing at all ; that sin was the 
greatest of all evils ; and that it was necessary 
to treasure up much of the grace of God and 
the hopes of the gospel for the contest of the 
last hour. Having prayed with him, I left him 
in hopes that the Lord would bless that visit. 
A few days after, this man expired with a joyful 
confidence in the atonement of Christ." 

Thus it will be seen that death was making 
inroads upon the infant town, and filling many 
a family wuth sorrow and mourning. But these 
seemingly adverse circumstances were not with- 
out their salutary effect, in checking every thing 
like worldly-mindedness and indifference to reli- 
gious duty, and in endearing to the hearts of 
this people that religion, which could not only 
cheer and support them under every trial of 
life, but was capable of imparting serenity and 
triumph in the hour of death. Amid all these 
scenes of suffering and distress, the emigrants 
laboured patiently, though they were exposed to 
sickness and hunger, and even death, hoping for 
better and happier days. 

Such was the state of things at Ebenezer, 
when a second party of emigrants arrived. 
These were likewise Salzburgers, who had been 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 71 



sent over by the Trustees in the ship ''Prince 
of Wales," which vessel left England in Novem- 
ber, 1734, and arrived in Georgia the early 
part of the next year. This expedition, which 
consisted of fifty-seven persons, was conducted 
by Mr. Vatt. On reaching Savannah, they im- 
mediately set out to join their brethren at their 
new town. They were kindly received, and pro- 
vision made for them as far as the means of the 
colonists would warrant. It was with difiiculty, 
however, that they could be furnished with lodg- 
ings, and the stock of food in the colony was 
not very abundant. Nevertheless, by this ac- 
cession to their numbers, the colonists were 
greatly benefited, for among the new comers 
were many mechanics, whose labours were of 
essential service. By their aid, planks were soon 
sawed, timber hewed, boards and shingles split, 
and the good people went cheerfully to work to 
improve their dwellings. As to their church, 
they were compelled as yet to worship in a large 
wooden tent, which during a part of the time 
had been the residence of their ministers. By 
degrees, many of their houses were finished ; and 
here in the wilderness of Georgia, upon the 
very borders of an Indian tribe, sprung up a 
thrifty little town, with its humble cottages ; and 
here, far away from the abodes of civilization, a 
Christian community was established, in which 
the pure doctrines of the gospel were taught, 



t2 



THE SALZBURGERS 



and God was worshipped in the simplicity and 
sincerity which characterized the first ages of 
the church. Would to God that this state of 
things had always continued ! That it did not, 
was not attributable to any want of fidelity on 
the part of their religious teachers, or to any 
heterodoxy in doctrine or laxity of discipline. 
But it will not do to anticipate the future. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 73 



CHAPTER IV. 

General Oglethorpe visits England — Favourable condition of the 
colony — Trustees determine to send out reinforcements — Aid 
from British Parliament — Character of the colonists engaged — 
Highlanders and Salzburgers — Liberal terms proposed by the 
Trustees — Captain Hermsdorff and Baron Von Reck — The Trus- 
tees charter the " London Merchant" and the " Symond" — The 
"great embarkation" — English and German emigrants — Mora- 
vians under Bishop Nitschman — John and Charles Wesley — 
Departure from England — Storm at sea — Effect of the conduct 
of the Germans upon Mr. Wesley — Testimony of Dr. Jackson, 
President of British Conference — Mr. Wesley's spiritual condi- 
tion — Conference with Mr. Spangenburg — Influence of the Mo- 
ravians — Rev. Peter Boehler — Salzburgers confounded with the 
Moravians — Mistake of Mr. Bancroft — Removal of Moravians 
to Pennsylvania — Mr. Wesley's religious experience — Extract 
from his journal — Subsequent visit to England — His conversion 
— Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans — Mr. Wesley's 
preaching after his conversion — Forms " Societies," the basis 
of Wesleyan Methodism — The Methodist Church a fruit of the 
Lutheran Reformation — Arrival of the "embarkation" at Sa- 
vannah — Settlement of Salzburgers on St. Simon's Island — 
Views of the Germans in relation to war — Reinforcement at 
Ebenezer — Lutheran settlement at Frederica — Rev. U. Dreisler 
— Revs. Bolzius and Gronau visit Savannah — Conference with 
General Oglethorpe — Salzburgers dissatisfied with their location, 
and desire a change — General Oglethorpe visits Ebenezer — 
Reasons of the Salzburgers for desiring to remove — General 
Oglethorpe's advice and kindness to the Salzburgers — Change 
of location determined upon. 

The affairs of the colonists, both at Savannah 
and at Ebenezer, being considered in a favour- 

7 



74 THE SALZBURGEKS 



able condition, General Oglethorpe determined 
to visit his friends in England. Taking with 
him a number of Indians and other persons, he 
departed from Savannah in the winter of 1734, 
and arrived in England early the following 
spring. His representations to the Trustees of 
the flattering prospects of their colony, induced 
that honourable body to resolve upon strength- 
ening it by sending out new settlers, and by 
taking the necessary steps to provide for its 
greater security. 

In July, 1735, publication was made, that the 
Trustees would provide for the transportation 
of a given number of such persons as might be 
approved by them. The terms proposed were 
so liberal, and the success of the colony being 
no longer a matter of doubt, upward of twelve 
hundred persons made application to be sent 
over to Georgia. Though the funds of the 
Trustees had been greatly increased by the very 
liberal grant from the British Parliament of 
£26,000, yet they did not feel warranted in 
giving encouragement to any but worthy per- 
sons, and such as would be likely to prove of 
advantage to the colony. It was therefore re- 
solved that this embarkation should consist 
chiefly of the Highlanders from Scotland and 
the persecuted Salzburgers from Germany. 

In accordance with this determination, the 
Trustees invited one hundred Germans from the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 75 



city of Ratisbon to remove to Georgia, and set- 
tle under their patronage. They engaged to 
give them a free passage, with an ample supply 
of sea-stores, and a freehold of fifty acres of 
land to every settler, together with such an out- 
fit of clothes, tools, and farming utensils, as 
might be deemed necessary. To these propo- 
sals the Salzburgers consented, and about eighty 
of them, under the conduct of Captain Herms- 
dorf and Baron Von Reck, repaired to England 
to avail themselves of the liberality of the 
Trustees. 

A sufiicient number of emigrants having been 
secured, the Trustees chartered for their trans- 
portation two ships, the Symond,, of two hun- 
dred tons. Captain Joseph Cornish, and the 
London Merchant, of the same burden. Cap- 
tain John Thomas. The whole number consisted 
of two hundred and twenty-seven persons. This 
was called the great embarkation. Besides the 
Salzburgers and a number from England, there 
were twenty-seven Moravians, under the care 
of one of their bishops, the Rev. David Nitsch- 
man. General Oglethorpe accompanied this ex- 
pedition, and took with him several English 
gentlemen of distinction. Among the passen- 
gers were Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, 
the former of whom was going to Georgia, by 
invitation of General Oglethorpe, to preach the 
gospel to the Indians, and to improve, as far as 



76 THE SALZBURGERS 



might be practicable, the moral and religious 
condition of the colony. 

The Sjmond and the London Merchant sailed 
from Gravesend on the 20th of October, 1735, 
under convoy of His Majesty's sloop-of-war 
Hawk, Captain Gascoine. It was not, however, 
until the 10th of December that they passed 
the Needles, and lost sight of the English coast. 
This voyage was a long and tempestuous one. 
There were frequent and violent storms, and on 
several occasions the vessels were in imminent 
danger of being shipwrecked. During one of 
these terrible gales, an incident occurred, the 
results of which will in all probability be felt 
until the end of time. 

It has been noticed that among the passen- 
gers were Messrs. John and Charles Wesley. 
The former had received orders in the Church 
of England, and was now on his voyage to en- 
gage in the duties of his high vocation. The 
German passengers, by their humble piety, had 
attracted Mr. Wesley's attention, and awakened 
in his mind special interest on their behalf; 
and God, in his providence, seems to have 
designed that they were to exercise an im- 
portant influence upon his religious character 
and his future history. On a Sabbath, about 
noon, while the Salzburgers and other Germans 
were engaged in public worship, a storm sud- 
denly arose, which seems to have surpassed in 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 7T 



violence every other that occurred during the 
voyage. Amid the commotion of the elements 
nearly every heart quaked, and some almost 
died with fear. Mr. Wesley himself was 
seriously alarmed at the imminent peril in 
which he and his fellow-passengers were placed. 
Notwithstanding his Christian profession, and his 
relation to the church as one of her accredited 
ministers, there was something wanting in his 
spiritual experience to fortify his mind against 
the fear of death. But far otherwise were the 
feelings of the pious Salzburgers and Moravians. 
While the tempest raged and the swelling billows 
threatened to engulf them, they calmly sang the 
praises of God, and manifested the most per- 
fect self-composure and exemption from all fear, 
under the most appalling circumstances. 

When the tempest had subsided, Mr. Wesley 
inquired of one of the Germans, ''Were you not 
afraid?" He mildly replied, " I thank God, no I" 
"But were not your women and children afraid ?" 
He answered, «' No ! our women and children 
are not afraid to die !" Dr. Jackson, President 
of the British Conference, speaking of this oc» 
currence in his Centenary of Methodism, re- 
marks : " In these strangers the English Metho- 
dists beheld Christianity in a light more gentle, 
attractive, and consoling than that in which 
they had ever before seen it- 

'< In storms and hurricanes, when others were 



78 THE SALZBURGERS 



ready to die "with fear, they calmly sang the 
praises of God, expressing a cheerful confidence 
and resignation in the prospect of immediately 
perishing in the great deep. With the tempers 
of these people the Wesleys were, at this time, 
personally unacquainted. Neither of them was 
delivered from the fear of death, and they had 
no just conception of the holy cheerfulness 
■which is produced by an application of the blood 
of Christ to the conscience, and the abiding 
witness and operations of the heavenly Com- 
forter. Theirs was a religion of fear and mor- 
tification, rather than of holy peace and joy." 

It was under these circumstances that Mr. 
Wesley's attention was for the first time arrested 
to his spiritual condition ; and now he realized 
what he had never done before, the groundless- 
ness of his religious hopes, and his destitution 
of that religious faith which is necessary to 
justify the sinner and impart perfect peace to 
the mind. 

The impressions made upon Mr. Wesley by 
the conduct of these Germans during the voyage 
were strengthened upon his arrival at Savannah. 
Here he was introduced to Mr. Spangenburg, 
one of the Moravian pastors, who had reached 
that place some time previously. Mr. Wesley 
immediately applied to this devoted man for ad- 
vice in reference to his future course. Mr. 
Spangenburg, in complying with Mr. Wesley's 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 79 



wishes, questioned him very closely concerning 
his religious experience. This conversation, 
while it revealed more fully to Mr. Wesley his 
ignorance of experimental religion, also ex- 
plained the cause of those fears which he had 
experienced during the storm at sea. " His 
heart was not yet right in the sight of God." 

It will not be denied that Mr. Wesley re- 
ceived more instruction from the Moravians than 
from the Salzburgers ; and he himself declares 
that he had derived more light from the Rev. 
Peter Boehler than from any other man with 
whom he had ever conversed. But still it will 
be manifest to every impartial mind that is fami- 
liar with all the facts, that Mr. Wesley beheld 
in the persons of the Germans who were his 
fellow-passengers, and by far the great majority 
of whom were Salzburgers, the first practical 
illustration of the happy influence of genuine 
piety upon the disposition, afi'ections, and gene- 
ral deportment of those who have experienced 
it. Whatever benefit Mr. Wesley may have 
subsequently received from the Moravians, and 
especially from Mr. Boehler, it is clear, that it 
was through his intercourse with the Salzbur- 
gers and other Germans at sea, under the cir- 
curiistances already mentioned, that he obtained 
views of the true state of his own soul which 
he had never before experienced, and realized 
for the first time his want of that acceptance 



80 THE SALZBURG ERS 



with God "which is necessary to tranquillize the 
heart, and give serenity to the conscience, under 
all the varied circumstances of life. 

The question might be asked, why does Mr. 
Wesley make such particular mention of the '< Mo- 
ravians," and the instructions which he had re- 
ceived from their pastors, while he says nothing 
of the Salzburgers, who were Lutherans ? The 
answer to this question is, that Mr. Wesley 
seems not to have distinguished the former 
from the latter, their characters being so very 
similar ; and hence he speaks of them all as 
"Germans." 

A similar error has been committed by Mr. 
Bancroft in his history of the United States. 
In every instance in which he speaks of the 
German colonists at Ebenezer, he calls them 
<< Moravians." It is time that these false im- 
pressions had been removed. 

The Moravians never made any permanent 
settlement in Georgia. When the Spanish war 
broke out, they removed, almost to a man, to 
the State of Pennsylvania, because it was con- 
trary to their religious faith to take up arms in 
any cause. Hence, they never left the impress 
of their peculiar tenets and usages upon any por- 
tion of the colony. 

Beside this, the pastors of the Moravians 
were with them, and it was very natural that 
Mr. Wesley should look to them for instruction ; 



AND THEin DESCENDANTS. 81 



but the Salzburgers were unaccompanied by 
any spiritual teacher, their pastors having been 
settled at Ebenezer for nearly two years. Now, 
whatever may have been the causes operating 
upon Mr. Wesley afterward, and by what means 
soever he was more fully indoctrinated in the 
essential principles of Christianity, it must still 
remain true, that it was at sea, while sailing 
with the German emigrants, that the practical 
influence of evangelical religion was first real- 
ized by him; and it may not be assuming too 
much to express the opinion that, but for his 
intercourse with the Salzburgers and other Ger- 
mans, connected with the peculiar incidents of 
this voyage, he might have long remained un- 
conscious of his spiritual condition, and he 
might possibly never have realized it. For, as 
he himself remarks, <'I was ignorant of the na- 
ture of saving faith, apprehending it to mean no 
more than a firm assent to all the propositions 
contained in the Old and New Testament." 

Two years after his first visit to Georgia, Mr. 
Wesley returned to England, and shortly after 
his arrival he made the following note in his 
journal : " It is now two years and nearly four 
months since I went to America to teach the 
Georgia Indians the nature of Christianity ; but 
what have I learned of myself in the mean 
time ? why (what of all I least expected) that I, 
who went to America to convert others, was 



THE SALZBURGERS 



never myself converted to God." It is a mat- 
ter of history, that subsequently Mr. Wesley 
was converted at a prayer-meeting, which he 
attended among the Moravians in Aldersgate 
street, London, while one was reading Luther's 
preface to Paul's Epistle to the Romans, in 
which the great Reformer has given such a 
clear elucidation of the doctrine of justification 
hy faith. 

No sooner was Mr. Wesley converted, than 
he commenced to preach the great doctrines of 
repentance and faith, and the necessity of a 
radical change of heart and life to all who 
would secure their salvation. The proclama- 
tion of these doctrines in England, where reli- 
gion in the Established Church had degenerated 
into a lifeless formality, together with the ear- 
nest and convincing manner in which he enforced 
them, aroused against him so strong a prejudice, 
that he was, as if by common consent, excluded 
from the churches of the Establishment, and was 
compelled to preach in the open air. One 
measure naturally led to another, and soon Mr. 
Wesley found it necessary to form those " So- 
cieties" which afterward became the basis of 
that ecclesiastical organization known as " Wes- 
leyan Methodism;" a system, whose beneficial 
effects upon the spiritual condition of the world, 
have been seen and felt in almost every part of 
the globe, and will no doubt continue to exert a 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 83 



wider and still wider influence until the end of 
time. 

It is, therefore, not assuming too much, to say 
that Mr. Wesley's conversion and the establish- 
ment of the Methodist Church may be regarded 
as the legitimate fruits of the Lutheran Refor- 
mation. And it is an easy matter, in this view 
of the subject, to account for the striking simi- 
larity which exists between the doctrines of the 
Lutheran and Methodist churches. 

In contemplating these occurrences, we are 
constrained to admire the mysterious combina- 
tion of circumstances by which God accom- 
plishes some of his most gracious purposes. 
We see in the German exiles, who were fellow- 
passengers with Mr. Wesley, a band of faithful 
disciples, flying from religious intolerance in the 
land of their nativity, and seeking for freedom 
of conscience in a distant country. Going forth 
upon their pilgrimage, they are, in the providence 
of God, brought in contact with a personage 
of great genius and learning, upon whose heart 
their exemplary deportment and calm and hea- 
venly temperament make a lasting impression ; 
and he subsequently becomes, through the trans- 
forming power of the gospel, a chosen instru- 
ment, by which is put in motion the greatest 
moral revolution that has occurred since the 
Reformation by Luther. Thus, while the Chris- 
tian pilgrim wanders to and fro in the earth, 



84 THE SALZBURGERS 



an outcast from his country, and exposed to pri- 
vation and danger, he is made to sow, broad-cast 
as it were, the seed of divine truth ; and the fruit 
of that sowing is seen increasing from gene- 
ration to generation, and extending even to 
the latest period of time. Thus strangely, yet 
wisely, does God execute his merciful designs. 
" Oh the depth of riches, both of the wisdom 
and knowledge of God! How unsearchable 
are his judgments, and his ways past finding 
out!" 

But we must resume the thread of our narra- 
tive. The whole embarkation reached Georgia 
in safety, early in the month of February, 1736. 
General Oglethorpe proceeded immediately to 
arrange the colonists, and to send them to their 
respective places of destination. It would ap- 
pear that it was originally designed that a great 
portion of the Salzburgers who came over at this 
time were to go to the southward, and aid in 
establishing the town of Frederica, on St. Simon's 
Island, where it was proposed also to erect a 
fort and plant a garrison, to protect the frontier 
settlements. As, however, the Salzburgers mani- 
fested an unwillingness to go to the south. 
General Oglethorpe did not insist upon it. The 
reasons assigned by these pious men for this 
course were, that from the rumours w^hich they 
had heard of the threatened invasion of Georgia 
by the Spaniards, their position at Frederica 



i 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 85 



might render it necessary for them to take up 
arms, and as " fighting was against their reli- 
gion," they preferred not to place themselves in 
a situation where they would be compelled to do 
violence to their consciences. Besides, at the 
new settlement there would be no church, at least 
not for some time, and they therefore preferred 
to go to Ebenezer, where a congregation of 
their own people was already organized, and 
they could enjoy the instructions of the two 
pious ministers who resided there. However, 
although this was the feeling of the great mass 
of Germans, Captain Hermsdorf succeeded in 
raising a small company of volunteers, and they 
offered their services to General Oglethorpe, 
who requested that they might be put upon any 
service that might be deemed necessary. This 
company was accordingly ordered to Frederica, 
to aid in the defence of that place. It became 
the nucleus for a Lutheran church, which was 
organized in 1735, under the pastoral care of 
the Rev. Ulrich Driesler, a German missionary, 
sent over by the Trustees, and supported from 
their funds. 

From the conduct of the Salzburgers on this 
occasion, we may learn something of the spirit 
which governed all their actions. Their reli- 
gion taught them that war is inconsistent with 
the genius of Christianity, and is therefore to 
be avoided. As their spiritual improvement was 
8 



86 THE SALZBURGEKS 



of more importance than any worldly advan- 
tages which they might enjoy in other portions 
of the colony, they chose to relinquish these ad- 
vantages, rather than forego the enjoyment of 
the preached word and the ordinances of the 
sanctuary. For these reasons the great majority 
of the Germans were allowed to go to Ebenezer, 
which they did without delay. Their arrival 
was hailed with much joy, and many were the 
kind greetings which these brethren exchanged 
upon being brought together under such favour- 
able auspices. Thus, from the 12th of March, 
1734, to the 8th of February, 1736, the day on 
which this last company arrived, about two hun- 
dred Salzburgers were settled at Ebenezer. 

About this time Messrs. Bolzius and Gronau 
visited Savannah, to confer with General Ogle- 
thorpe in reference to the propriety of changing 
the location of the town. These gentlemen 
stated that there was very great dissatisfaction 
among their people; and they represented the 
colony at Ebenezer as being in such an unfa- 
vourable condition, that the general deemed it 
advisable for him to visit that place immediately. 
For this purpose he set out on the 10th of Feb- 
ruary, in company with the two ministers. 

On reaching Ebenezer, where he was received 
with every mark of consideration due to his sta- 
tion, he patiently inquired into the causes of 
discontent among the people. These were various. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 87 



They had been disappointed in the character of 
the soil, and their lands had not yielded them 
any thing like an adequate support. The climate 
had proved very unhealty, and many of their 
numbers had fallen victims to disease. Besides, 
the impracticability of navigating to any advan- 
tage the stream upon which their town was 
located, rendered their situation peculiarly dis- 
tressing. 

These reasons were not without weight, espe- 
cially the latter. Here it may not be improper 
to inform the reader of the character of the 
watercourse upon which the Salzburgers origi- 
nally settled. It is not properly a river, but a 
creek, which at times is swollen to a considerable 
size; and there is in Georgia hardly another 
'Stream so serpentine in its course, and so diffi- 
cult to traverse. Some idea may be formed on 
this subject, when it is stated that although 
the distance from old Ebenezer to the Savannah 
river by land does not exceed six miles, the dis- 
tance by the course of the creek is not less than 
tiventy-jive. Farms situated on its banks within 
two and three miles of each other, cannot be 
reached by water without travelling five to eight 
miles. It will thus be seen, that the difficulty 
of navigating this creek, which was the only out- 
let to the Savannah river, did furnish reasonable 
cause for dissatisfaction. The other grounds 
of complaint were equally worthy of considera- 



88 THE SALZCURGERS 



tion. There had been considerable mortality 
among the settlers, and the products of their 
farms had been so inadequate to their wants, 
that, but for the occasional supplies furnished by 
the Trustees from the public stores, their situa- 
tion would have been very deplorable. 

General Oglethorpe listened patiently to all 
the statements of the Salzburgers, and then coun- 
selled them with the kindness and frankness of 
an aifectionate parent. He admitted that their 
dissatisfaction was not groundless, and that there 
were many embarrassments connected with their 
situation ; but still their situation was not without 
its advantages. They had cleared their lands, 
erected dwellings, and made considerable pro- 
gress with their town. If now they should re- 
move, such a measure would be attended with' 
great trouble and privation. The labour which 
they had expended would be all lost, and their cir- 
cumstances, now sufficiently embarrassing, would 
be rendered still more so by the inconveniences 
and hardships of making a new settlement. He 
was also satisfied, from his acquaintance with the 
situation of the country to which they desired 
to remove, that as soon as the forests should be 
cleared, and the lands brought under cultivation, 
they would again be subject to the diseases pecu- 
liar to the climate, and w^ould be forced to leave 
the neighbourhood. Still, if they persisted in 
their wishes, he would not oppose them, but 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 89 



would assist them, as far as practicable, in car- 
rying out their designs. Subsequent events 
proved too painfully, the foresight and correct 
judgment of General Oglethorpe, and what was 
then merely an opinion, is now a matter of Azs- 
tory. The general, having discharged his duty, 
in giving the Salzburgers such advice as was 
called for by the occasion, returned to Savannah, 
and left them to adopt such measures as they 
might deem most likely to promote their com- 
fort and their interest. 

Immediately upon the departure of General 
Oglethorpe, the Salzburgers held a consultation 
in reference to the expediency of seeking a new 
settlement. After giving the subject a serious 
and prayerful consideration, it was decided that 
it was not only desirable, but absolutely indis- 
pensable to the prosperity of the colony, to seek 
a more favourable locality. Thus, after remain 
ing at old Ebenezer for only two years, it was 
found necessary to abandon it. 



8* 



90 THE SALZBURGERS. 



CHAPTER V. 

New Ebenezer — Its location, and the plan upon -which it was laid 
out — The environs of tho town — Its rapid growth — Municipal 
and other regulations— Rules originally adopted for the govern- 
ment of the congregation — The duties of pastors set forth — 
Elders and wardens — Parochial schools — Church members, &c. 
—Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg — Salaries of the pastors — Their re- 
sponsibilities — Relation to the church in Germany— Sale of rum 
prohibited, and the introduction of Negro slaves — Effects of 
these regulations on the colony at Ebenezer — Mr. Bolzius, 
Rev. George Whitfield, and Baron Von Reck on slavery — Posi- 
tion of Mr. Bolzius — Views of Hon. James Habersham and 
Rev. S. Urlsperger — Controversy settled, and slavery allowed — 
The Salzburgers and the Lutheran Church in Germany — Libe- 
rality of the latter — Education— "Bethany" church — Favour- 
able condition of the settlement — Religious character of the 
inhabitants — Their industry, frugality, <fec. — Letter of Mr. Bol- 
zius — Rev. George Whitefield at Ebenezer — His testimony in 
favour of the Salzburgers — He visits the Orphan House — Let- 
ter of Thomas Jones — Principal settlers at Ebenezer, up to 
1741 — The invasion of Georgia by Spaniards — Another letter 
of Mr. Bolzius — Extracts from his journal — Statement of Mr. 
Benjamin Martyn — New arrivals — Emigrants bind themselves 
as servants — Frederick Helfenstein — Lutheran church in Sa- 
vannah founded — Rev. U. Driesler — His death — Rev. Mr. 
Zublii — The town of Frederica — Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg visits 
Ebenezer — Mr. Gronau — " Jerusalem" church at Ebenezer — 
"Zion's" church — Extracts from Mr. Bolzius' journal — Death 
of Mr. Gronau. 

The site selected for a new town was on a 
high ridge within a short distance of the river, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 91 



and which, from the peculiar colour of the soil 
on the margin of the water, was called '' Red 
Bluff." The spot was quite a romantic one. On 
the east, lay the Savannah with its broad, smooth 
surface, and its ever-varying and beautiful 
scenery. On the south was a small stream, then 
called Little Creek, but now known as Lockner's 
Creek, and a large lake called <' Neidlinger's 
Sea." While to the north, not very distant 
from the town, was to be seen their old acquaint- 
ance, Ebenezer Creek, sluggishly winding its 
way to mingle with the waters of the Savannah. 
The surrounding country was gently undulating, 
and covered with a fine growth of forest- trees, 
while the jessamine, the woodbine, and the beau- 
tiful azalia, with its variety of gaudy colours, 
added a peculiar richness to the picturesque 
scene. But unfortunately for the permament 
prosperity of the town, it was surrounded on 
three sides by low swamps, which were subject 
to periodical inundation, and consequently gene- 
rated a poisonous miasma prejudicial to the 
health of the inhabitants. 

The new town was laid off after the plan of 
the city of Savannah, and covered an area of a 
quarter of a mile square. This space was di- 
vided into small squares, each containing ten 
building lots, and the latter numbered one hun- 
dred and sixty. Three wide streets passed 
through the town from east to west, which were 



92 THE SALZBURGERS 



intersected at right angles by four others run- 
ning from north to south; beside which there 
were a number of narrow lanes, but these ex- 
tended in only one direction — -north and south. 
Four squares were appropriated to the sale of 
produce, and called "market-places," and four 
were reserved as public parks or promenade 
grounds. Two-thirds of a square were appro- 
priated to the church, parsonage, and academy, 
and an equal quantity to the orphan asylum and 
the public storehouse respectively. On the 
east, a short distance from the town, was the 
cemetery. On the north and east was a large 
pasture for cattle, and on the south was one for 
sheep and goats. On the north and south, gar- 
den-lots were laid out, and still farther south, 
beyond Little Creek and Mill Creek, and upon 
their waters, the farms were located, each farm 
consisting of fifty acres. The country to the 
north, beyond Ebenezer Creek, was occupied 
by the Uchee Indians, that section not having 
been included in any of the grants made by 
them to the Trustees. The v/hole plan of the 
town, with its environs, was well conceived, and 
one can but admire the great judgment displayed 
in the whole arrangement. 

In the course of a few years, Ebenezer be- 
gan to give evidences of its future growth and 
prosperity. Houses were again erected. Gar- 
dens and farms were enclosed and brought under 



J 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 93 



cultivation, and the community assumed an air 
of great activity and industry. Whether it was 
owing to the want of means, or materials, or 
both, there was no church erected here for seve- 
ral years ; as, however, funds had been received 
from Germany for the establishment of an 
orphan asylum, and as that building was among 
the first that was erected, it was temporarily 
used as a place of worship. 

Having now described the location of ^'Eben- 
ezer" and its environs, it may be proper here to 
notice the government under which the colony 
was placed. As a religious community, the 
Salzburgers may be properly viewed as a mis- 
sionary station, under the fostering care of the 
English Society for the Propagation of Christian 
Knowledge, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church 
in Germany. It was required of the pastors 
and each member of the congregation to sub- 
scribe to the ^'Augsburg Confession" and the 
*' Symbolical Books," and to submit to a code 
of regulations drawn up by the Rev. Samuel 
Urlsperger of Augsburg, Rev. Frederick M. Zei- 
genhagen of London, and Rev. Gotthelf Augustus 
Franckd of Halle. These regulations were pre- 
pared in 1733, and continued in force, with some 
few alterations, (which were made principally by 
Dr. Muhlenburg, in 1774,) until 1843. It is not 
asserting too much to say, that no better church- 



94 THE SALZBURGERS 



discipline is needed than that laid down in these 
regulations. 

We insert here a copy of the original rules, 
with a view to show the character of the disci- 
pline which our pious forefathers adopted for 
the government of the churches. It is worthy 
of preservation, both on account of its antiquity 
and its intrinsic excellence. It reads thus : 

"In the name of God: — The fundamental constitution, 
articles, and rules upon which a German Evangelical 
Lutheran congregation was formally established, upon 
the basis of the Holy Bible, our Augsburg Confession, 
(and the other Symbolical Books,) since the year 1733, 
in and about Ebenezer, in His Great Britannic Majesty's 
province of Georgia ; and which were unanimously ap- 
proved, confirmed, and unalterably determined upon, un- 
der hand and seal, by the reverened founders, viz. Messrs. 
Samuel Urlsperger, Frederick Michael Zeigenhagen, Gott- 
helf Augustus Francke, most worthy members of the 
venerable society in England, instituted for the promo- 
tion of the knowledge of Christ ; together with the first 
ministers, elders, deacons, and regular church-members. 
His Great Britannic Protestant Majesty's faithful sub- 
jects. (Vide Preface to the first article of the Ameri- 
canische Ackerwerck Gottes, p. 3.) 

CHAPTER I. 

" That no congregation can preserve its establishment 
and regulations, and maintain good order for the further- 
ance of its true interests, unless there be elected as dea- 
cons men who are members of the congregation, and 
who have both the qualifications and authority to provide 
for the maintenance of good regulation and wholesome 
discipline of the whole congregation, is taught by sound 
reason, the Holy Scriptures, and experience. Therefore, 



I 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 95 



as wc are taught in the important admonition contained 
in the last verse of the fourteenth chapter of 1 Cor.: ' Let 
all things be done decently and orderly/ (or in accord- 
ance with good regulations and decorum.) And that we 
may be the more encouraged to obey this injunction, the 
holy apostle declares, in the twenty-eighth verse of the 
twelfth chapter, preceding, ' that God, being a God of 
order in his churches purchased with a precious price, 
appointed not only apostles, prophets, and ministers,^ but 
also adjutors and rulers: that is, men highly gifted and 
favoured, who have, both by word and in deed, contri- 
buted, as the wants and ordinances of the churches re- 
quired, every thing that was possible for the good regu- 
lation and the maintainment of the churches. It is also 
a fact, clearly taught by the word of God, that such men 
were appointed in the church of God, even in the Old 
Testament dispensation, from the time of Moses, for the 
purpose of maintaining good order. Accordingly, it is 
in perfect keeping with the will of God and the example, 
not only of the primitive, but also of the succeeding 
Christian churches, that such church elders, or adjutors 
and rulers, have been jointly elected by the whole con- 
gregation ; also among us, whose duty it is to promote 
the best interests of this our parish, as is directed by the 
English ecclesiastical canon. As, however, our congre- 
gation does not properly belong to the English Church, 
and consequently cannot, in all points, exist under its 
ecclesiastical canon, but must enact its own regulations 
for the worship of God and for edification, it becomes 
necessary for the members of our congregation to invest 
the proposed church-elders, as is the practice of the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in London, (and others 
which need not be mentioned,) with special authority to 
support our congregation ; and intrust to them also their 
establishments and regulations. For all this, if made 
incumbent upon the ministers alone, is a burden far too 
onerous and insupportable. 

" If, now, men thus chosen and empowered are to pro- 
mote by word and in deed, both the existence and the 



96 THE SALZBURGEKS 



welfare of the congregation, so that it may endure and 
be maintained by its establishments and regulations ; 
and as such well-being of the congregation cannot be 
promoted without means, it follows quite naturally, that 
the requisite means must be placed in their hands by the 
members of the congregation, as is done by the Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Congregation in London, before alluded 
to, and also by all other Christian congregations. 

" Hence, inasmuch as the government, or the English 
ecclesiastical constitution, provides nothing for this pur- 
pose, and as, in consequence of the troublesome and war- 
like times in our German fatherland, we cannot, with 
certainty, expect as much aid as was received in former 
years from our beloved benefactors in Germany, toward 
the maintainment of our church and school establish- 
ments, and also tov;ard the alleviation of the wants of 
the poor and sick, it becomes a stern demand of necessity, 
that is, the honour of God and our spiritual welfare re- 
quire, that the members of the congregation bind them- 
selves, in love, mutually to contribute from year to year 
as much money as is and will continue to be requisite to 
the support of the school-teachers, and the preservation 
of the church and school ediJBces and the parsonage. 
Those persons, therefore, who are members of the con- 
gregation, and who are desirous of participating in its 
spiritual benefit and privileges, will, it is hoped, also be 
disposed to lend their assistance in bearing the expenses 
of the congregation, by contributing cheyfully their 
share toward the sustainment of the said proposed regu- 
lations and establishments. Those, however, who are 
unwilling to take upon themselves any of the labours, 
and who will not perform what is their covenant duty 
with feelings of gratitude, notwithstanding their ability 
to do so, debar themselves and their families, by these 
very means from the congregation and its spiritual bene- 
fits ; which will not surely tend to their advantage : * God 
loveth a cheerful giver.' *He that soweth bountifully, 
shall reap also bountifully." 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7, 8; (ix. 10.) 
Such as are members of this our evangelical congregation, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 97 



and are willing to contribute as much as may, from time 
to time be found requisite, according to the amount 
which the appointed church-deacons may compute and 
deem proper, toward the support of the school-teachers, 
the parsonage, the church, and school edifices, and also 
the supplying of any other necessities, will please sub- 
scribe their names to this writing, and annex the sum 
that they will give. And as, through the gracious pro- 
vidence of God, our beloved inhabitants have, in this re- 
spect, a great advantage in point of privilege and ease 
from cares over many other Christian congregations, be- 
cause they are not required to compensate their pastors, 
nor minister to their temporal support, it is expected 
that they will be the more prompt in contributing their 
quota toward the sustainment of the above regulations 
and establishments, which are designed for the support 
of the congregation and the upholding of the worship of 
God. They should even rejoice that the opportunity is 
afforded them to manifest the activity of their faith, 
through the love of God, to his word, the church, and 
the schools ; but when there is no active love, there is 
no true faith. * Show me thy faith by thy works.* 
James ii. 18. 

*' Finally, touching the office and duties of the church- 
elders, in regard to the ministers in the churches, the 
teachers in the schools, the whole congregation, and the 
money intrusted to them, it shall, in conclusion, be indi- 
cated in the words of the printed London German Church 
Discipline, given to us, altered, however, in several in- 
stances, to accord with our peculiar circumstances, as 
follows : — 

•* 1st. They shall employ the utmost diligence in pro- 
viding that the word of God be declared unto the Chris- 
tians of our congregation, in its purity and without ad- 
mixture, by pious teachers and ministers ; that the holy 
sacraments enjoined and instituted by our Lord Jesus 
Christ be administered, and that the pure doctrines be 
preserved and transmitted to our posterity. And in 
order that this object may be attained, somo of thom, at 

y 



98 THE SALZBURG ERS 



least, in case all cannot, shall always be present when 
the word is preached. 

"2d. It shall be their duty to see that the school-teach- 
ers receive duly their stipulated salary semi-anuually : 
likewise, that every thing else which may concern the 
congregation be fully performed. For this purpose they 
shall also collect, half-yearly, the contributions of the 
congregation, and enter the receipts regularly into the 
church register. They shall also, semi-annually, receive 
from the parents whose children receive instruction in 
the schools, a certain amount of payment for tuition, 
proportionate to their means ; so that the contribu- 
tion of the whole congregation for the defrayment 
of tlie congregational expenses, may be somewhat 
diminished. 

" 3d. The church-deacons shall make it their duty, in 
conjunction with the ministers, to see that all sins, dis- 
graceful conduct, and scandal be avoided ; or, otherwise, 
duly punished and corrected. 

" 4th. They shall keep a particular account of all ex- 
penditures made on behalf of the congregation, and also 
of every thing which any one may have voluntarily vowed 
or promised to give toward the support of the churches. 
And, after the expiration of his office, each one shall 
submit his account to all the other church-deacons col- 
lectively. 

"5th. They shall, at the end of the year, and when 
leaving their office and service, render an account to the 
contributing portion of the congregation, of all the money 
which they received during their official year for the use 
of the church ; so that each one may know how the funds 
of the congregation are applied and expended, and thus 
be the more willing to contribute again. 

" 6th. They shall submit the church register to the in 
spection of any one of the contributors who may desire 
to see how the money has been employed. 

"7th. Those church-deacons who have served their 
terra of office shall be in duty bound to assist on all oc- 
casions, by word or deed, at the meetings of the deacons 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 99 



and of the congregation, if desired; und when cited to do 
so, they shall appear without refusal. 

" 8th. The church-deacons newly inducted, and at all 
times those coming into office successively, shall also bo 
held responsible for the performance and fulfilment of all 
measures which may have been resolved and agreed upon 
by their predecessors, conducive to the tranquillity, peace, 
prosperity, and advantage of the congregation. 

" 9th. On those Sabbaths when the Lord's Supper is 
administered, they shall also stand at the doors of the 
church with suitable vessels (dishes or bowls) to receive 
and collect from the congregation while leaving the 
church, gifts and contributions for the benefit of tho 
church and the poor. It is also reasonably expected that 
not only residents should contribute something for the 
administration of the rite of baptism, the performance 
of the marriage ceremony, and for the celebration of tho 
Lord's Supper, but strangers should also be held to the 
perform.ance of this duty. For if the congregation is not 
sustained by its institutions, these can also not enjoy 
the privileges mentioned. 

" These above-mentioned deacons, of whom not less 
than seven shall be elected annually from among the 
members of our Evangelical Lutheran congregation, con- 
scientiously and according to the best of their knowledge, 
have the power to apply the money intrusted to them to 
this purpose ; yet, in very important matters, as when a 
church is to be built, or an important repair is to be un- 
dertaken, &c., the acquicsence and approval of the whole 
congregation convened in mass must be obtained. To 
these establishments may God, who is a God of order, 
add his heavenly grace, for the sake of Jesus Christ! 
Amen.^' 

It has been stated that this was the origi- 
nal discipline, subsequently amended by Dr. 
Muhlenburg in 1774. It is impossible to state 
to what extent it was altered, but that Dr. Muli- 



100 THE SALZBURGERS 



lenburg made some additions to it, and changed 
several of the articles, cannot be questioned. In 
another place it will be necessary to refer again 
to the subject of church discipline, when a 
synopsis will be given of the one signed by the 
pastors, elders, and deacons, and all the male 
members of church, in 1774 and 1775. 

It will be seen, from this extract, that the 
principal objects for which collections were made 
in the congregation, were the proper support of 
schools,' the relief of widows, orphans, and the 
superannuated, and the maintenance of the church 
edifice, whenever erected. It is worthy of re- 
mark that the salaries for the support of the 
pastors at Ebenezer were for many years con- 
tributed by the patrons of the church in Ger- 
many. At first, the amount allowed was about 
forty pounds for the senior pastor, and thirty 
pounds for his assistant. This allowance con- 
tinued until 1770, when Rev. Mr. Urlsperger de- 
cided that the salaries should not be less than sixty 
pounds and fifty pounds, respectively, and that 
the deficiency should be made up from the re- 
venues arising from those institutions which had 
been founded by European benefactions. 

The civil and military afi"airs of the entire 
colony, including the settlements at Ebenezer, 
Savannah, Frederica, &c., were under the con- 
trol of the Trustees, who, through their agent, 
General Oglethorpe, assigned lands to the colo- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 101 



nists, planned and laid oiF towns, built fortifica- 
tions, and so regulated the whole industrial 
economy as in his judgment was best calculated 
to promote the welfare of the settlers and carry 
out the designs of the Trustees. 

The immediate superintendence of the settle- 
ment at Ebenezer was assigned to the Rev. John 
Martin Bolzius and his colleague, Mr. Gronau; 
and we doubt very much if the affairs of the 
colony could have been more judiciously ma- 
naged than they were by these eminently pious 
and prudent men. Their duties were at times 
not only arduous, but distressingly embarrassing; 
but they performed them with a conscientious 
faithfulness worthy of all praise, and with a de- 
gree of success that is truly surprising. Sus- 
taining an indirect relation to the Trustees in 
England, and a direct connection with the 
society above mentioned, (from whom they de- 
rived part of their support,) as well as with the 
Lutheran Church in Germany, and having to 
superintend and manage the civil, as well as the 
ecclesiastical interests of the colony, it required 
no small degree of judgment and discretion to 
meet the wishes of their benefactors in England 
and their Christian friends and advisers in Ger- 
many. But we believe they fulfilled their trust 
to the satisfaction of all parties. 

Among the municipal regulations adopted by 
the ''Trustees," was one forbidding the introduc- 
9*- 



102 THE SALZBURGERS 



tion and sale of rum, and another inhibiting the 
importation of Negro slaves. The enforcement 
of these measures was attended with very serious 
difficulty in all parts of the colony, except at 
Ebenezer. The first measure was one, the pro- 
priety of which the Salzburgers never questioned. 
Temperance societies were then unknown ; but 
no such agency was necessary to teach our pious 
ancestors that the use of alcoholic drinks is at- 
tended with incalculable evils, and that the most 
specific remedy for these evils, is not to pass 
license laws to regulate the sale of spirits, but to 
remove entirely the cause that produced them. 
It is mentioned as a striking fact in the subse- 
quent history of Ebenezer, that the exclusion of 
ardent spirits had contributed materially to pro- 
mote the health of the inhabitants, while sick- 
ness prevailed in all those places where the sale 
was permitted. We wish that this wholesome 
regulation had always been enforced, not only at 
Ebenezer, but throughout our country ; and 
especially that the descendan»ts of the Salzbur- 
gers had always imitated, in this respect, the 
example of their pious forefathers. 

It is difficult to ascertain fully the grounds 
upon which the Salzburgers opposed so strenu- 
ously, and for so many years, the introduction 
of Negro slaves. Whether their own history, 
with its many scenes of wrong and oppression, 
had predisposed them against every species of 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 103 



servitude, or whether they judged that the ex- 
istence of slaves among them would render the 
colonists indolent, and perhaps weaken and em- 
barrass their community by exposing it to the 
evils of a servile war, are questions which it 
would not be easy to answer satisfactorily. We 
may, however, gather some instruction from a 
remark of Baron Von Reck. He says, in one 
of his letters, *' The purchase of Negroes is 
forbidden, on account of the vicinity of the 
Spaniards. The colony also is an asylum for 
the distressed, and slaves starve the poor 
labourer." 

It is a matter of history, however, which 
need not to be disguised, that the Salzburgers, 
including their pastors, did very warmly oppose 
the importation of slaves; and if the question 
had been left for them to decide, without any in- 
fluences from abroad being employed to bias their 
minds, slavery would not have existed in the 
colony. Mr. Bolzius was, perhaps, among the 
very last to yield his opposition. He even re- 
proved Mr. Whitefield very sharply, for his vacil- 
lation, in changing his opinions, after having in 
the first instance expressed his disapprobation 
of this measure, and then subsequently favour- 
ing it. Mr. AVhitefield denied having any parti- 
cipation in the matter, and said that he believed, 
with Pope, ''Whatever is, is best;" that God 
had some wise ends to accomplish in reference 



104 THE SALZBUKGERS 



to African slaver}^ ; and that he had no doubt 
it would terminate in advantage to the Africans. 
AVhen Pastor Bolzius yielded his objections to 
this measure, the ground which he assumed, as 
far as we can learn from his letters, was as fol- 
lows : — He admitted that there was wrong, in the 
abstract, to place our fellow-men in a state of 
bondage ; yet if, by removing the African from 
the heathenism of his native land to a country 
where his mind would be enlightened by the 
gospel, and provision made for the salvation of 
his soul, the evils of slavery might be endured 
in consideration of the moral and spiritual ad- 
vantages which it bestows upon its unfortunate 
victims. By this mode of reasoning, and by 
means of an essay from the pen of James Ha- 
bersham, Esq., the Salzburgers, including their 
pastors, after considerable hesitation, consented 
to have slaves brought into the colony. They 
did not do so, however, until after they had freely 
conferred with their Christian friends in Ger- 
many. The Rev. S. Urlsperger, in advising them 
upon this subject, says : ''If you take slaves in 
faith, and with the intent of conducting them to 
Christ, the action will not be a sin, but may 
prove a 'benediction.' " This advice determined 
their future course in reference to this import- 
ant question. The discussion of this subject 
had, however, produced great excitement in the 
colony. In the language of another, " The 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 105 



whole province dwelt, as it were, on the brink 
of a volcano, whose intestine fires raged higher 
and higher, threatening at no distant period a 
desolating eruption." It was under these cir- 
cumstances, and when the community seemed to 
be on the brink of a civil war, that Mr. Bolzius 
wrote to the Trustees, withdrawing, on behalf of 
himself and the Salzburgers, their objection to 
the repeal of the law. 

We have already intimated that the Lutheran 
congregation at Ebenezer was connected with 
the church in Germany, and it was accordingly 
required that the pastors should keep up a regu- 
lar correspondence, especially with the authori- 
ties at Augsburg and Halle, which were then 
the two principal Protestant cities on the conti- 
nent. This correspondence contained a minute 
detail of all the occurrences at Ebenezer, and 
the most important part of it was published in 
the Nachrichten of Rev. S. Urlsperger, of Augs- 
burg, and much of it is still extant. 

But while the church in Germany kept up its 
ecclesiastical connection with the church at 
Ebenezer, and sought to direct its spiritual 
affairs, it was not backward in raising means for 
its maintenance. Even prior to the emigration 
of the Salzburgers, collections had been taken 
up in various parts of Germany, and after their 
settlement at Ebenezer they continued to receive 
donations from their transatlantic brethren ; 



106 THE SALZBURGERS 



and such was the liberality displayed toward 
them, that a church fund was raised amounting 
to twelve thousand guilders, for the support of 
the pastors, and other benevolent purposes. 

It ought to be mentioned that, in the esta- 
blishment of the colony, the cause of education 
was not overlooked, and in every instance in 
which a pastor was sent over, a schoolmaster 
accompanied him, unless one was already pro- 
vided. A fund, too, was subsequently created 
for his support; for our pious forefathers judged, 
and very correctly too, that no country can pros- 
per in which provision is not made for the mental 
culture and improvement of the rising genera- 
tion. Thus we find that there was a regular 
school kept up during the lifetime of Mr. Bol- 
zius and many years afterward, at Ebenezer, and 
one at Zion's Church, four miles below Ebenezer. 
Subsequently, when the church called '^Bethany" 
was built on the bluff above Ebenezer, a school- 
house was also erected, and a fund established 
for the support of the teacher. Erom this it 
will be seen how much importance was attached 
to the subject of education, and how careful the 
Salzburgers were to make provision for the sup- 
port of their teachers. In this respect there is 
another striking parallel between the Salzbur- 
gers and the Puritans of New England ; and if 
the former had been as favourably situated as 
the latter, there is no doubt that thcv would 



A\D THEIR DESCENDANTS. 107 



have accomplished fully as much in making pro- 
vision for the proper intellectual training of their 
offspring. At all events, thej showed most con- 
clusively that they had enlightened and liberal 
vie^YS upon the subject of education, and em- 
ployed every means in their power to promote it. 
Such were the circumstances under which the 
colony at Ebenezer was commenced. The 
foundation was laid by the Trustees for the 
colonization of Georgia, aided by the Society 
for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, 
and the liberal donations of Christian friends in 
Germany. Let us now take a look at this little 
community. In the year 1736 the place began 
to assume the appearance of a village, giving 
evidence, by its neat cottages, of the presence of 
civilization almost in the midst of savage tribes 
of Indians. Within its precincts stand the 
school-house for the education of the children, 
and the asylum for the widow and orphan, within 
whose walls the pastors and their flocks, as yet, 
meet for the worship of God. There, too, is the 
comfortable parsonage, in which dwell those holy 
men whose greatest happiness is derived from 
the spiritual prosperity of their people, and who 
labour patiently and unremittingly for the tem- 
poral and eternal welfare of those committed to 
their charge, pointing them, by their precept and 
example, to a holier and happier state above. 
The people, too, are obedient to the voice of their 



108 THE SALZBURGERS 



shepherds. They receive their instructions re- 
spectfully and dutifully ; and yielding their 
hearts to the influences of Christian principles, 
they become "living epistles" to the power of 
our holy religion to change the heart and regu- 
late the conduct. 

One cannot well conceive of a community 
more happily constituted than this was. The 
civil and municipal laws were few and simple ; 
their church-discipline scriptural and rigid. At 
the head of the community stand the pastors 
and elders of the congregation. These consti- 
tute the umpire before which all questions both 
civil and religious are brought ; and such is the 
integrity of those who compose this tribunal, 
and such the prudence and wisdom and impar- 
tiality which characterize all their proceedings, 
that their decisions are always satisfactory, and 
no appeals are ever made from their judgment. 

Under these circumstances Ebenezer, as might 
have been expected, was destined to enjoy, for a 
season at least, a good measure of prosperity. 
Its inhabitants were not only accustomed tr 
hardships, but being industrious and frugal in 
their habits, and living always in the fear of 
God, they possessed within themselves all those 
elements necessary to the success of any enter- 
prise. It is true, there were many diflSculties 
to be surmounted at the outset, arising from 
the want of arable land and the scarcity of pro- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 109 



visions ; but as soon as their lands could be 
brought under cultivation, which was done in 
this and the following year, and a communica- 
tion opened with the city of Savannah, which 
was effected by the purchase of a boat for that 
purpose, their circumstances were greatly im- 
proved. 

Their easy access, too, to the river, which 
abounded with fish and wild-fowl, enabled them 
to obtain supplies of food, which tended greatly 
to relieve their necessities. 

That the reader may form some idea of the 
condition of affairs at Ebenezer about this time, 
the following letter from Pastor Bolzius, dated 
the 13th of February, 1738, is inserted: "With 
great satisfaction we perceive that, through the 
grace of God, general contentment prevails 
among our people. The longer they are here 
the better they are pleased ; and we are sure 
their utmost wishes will be gratified when they 
shall be able to live by their own industry. 

<< They are satisfied, because they are enjoy- 
ing the privileges which they had long sought in 
vain — to have the word of God in its purity. 
Our heavenly Father will perhaps provide the 
means for building a house for worship. At 
present we worship in the Orphan-House, and 
feel that God is with us." 

It was about this period that the celebrated 
George Whitefield visited Ebenezer. Speaking 
10 



110 THE SALZBURGERS 



of the state of the colony, he remarks : " Their 
lands are surprisingly improved. They are also 
blessed with two such pious ministers as I have 
seldom seen. They have no courts of jurisdic- 
tion, but all dififerences are immediately settled 
by their pastors. They have an orphan-house, 
in which are seventeen children and a widow." 

With the orphans' school Mr. Whitefield was 
very much gratified. He had it in contempla- 
tion to establish a similar institution in Georgia, 
for the benefit of the numerous orphans whom 
he found in Savannah and its vicinity. His 
heart had first been directed to this subject by 
what he had heard and read in reference to the 
celebrated orphan-house founded at Halle, by 
Dr. Franke. When he visited the Orphans' 
Asylum at Ebenezer, he was so much pleased, 
that his purposes were confirmed, and he pro- 
jected his orphan-house, which he called Be- 
thesda. This was located about eight miles from 
Savannah. 

While on the visit above alluded to, Mr. 
Whitefield was so much delighted with the order 
and harmony at Ebenezer, that he gave part of 
his own ''poor stores" to Mr. Bolzius, to be distri- 
buted among his orphans. Mr. Whitefield thus 
describes the scene : '' Mr. Bolzius called all the 
children before him ; catechized and exhorted 
them to give thanks to God for his good provi- 
dence toward them ; then prayed with them, and 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. Ill 



made them pray after him ; then sung a psalm. 
Aftertvards the little lambs came and shook me by 
the hand one by one, and so we parted!'' 

Mr. Whitefield never forgot this visit to the 
Salzburgers ; and he became so deeply interested 
in their welfare, that a year or two afterward he 
interested himself to procure an English teacher 
for one of their schools, and offered to educate 
two pious young men in his orphan-house, whom 
the pastors at Ebenezer might select for this 
purpose. 

In a letter written by Mr. Thomas Jones, 
dated Savannah, Georgia, on the 18th of Sep- 
tember, 1740, occur the following remarks : 
" Thirty miles distance from this place is Eben- 
ezer, a town on the Savannah river, inhabited 
by Salzburgers and other Germans, under the 
pastoral care of Mr. Bolzius and Mr. Gronau, 
who are discreet, worthy men : they consist of 
sixty families and upward. The town is neatly 
built, the situation exceedingly pleasant; the 
people live in the greatest harmony with their 
ministers and with one another, as one family. 
They have no drunken, idle, or profligate peo- 
ple among them, but are industrious, and many 
have grown wealthy. Their industry has been 
blessed with remarkable and uncommon success, 
to the envy of their neighbours, having great 
plenty of all the necessary conveniences for life 
(except clothing) within themselves ; and supply 



112 



THE SALZBURGERS 



this town (Savannah) with bread-kind, as also 
beef, veal, pork, poultry, &c." 

For the gratification of the reader, and espe- 
cially for the benefit of the descendants of the 
Salzburgers, we subjoin a list of the principal 
residents at Ebenezer in 1741 : 



Rev. John Martin Bolzius, 
Rev. Israel Christian Gronau, 
Bartholomew Reiser, 
Bartholomew Zant, 
Thomas Goswandel, 
Gabriel Maurer, 
John Maurer, 
George Kogler, 
Paulus Zittrauer, 
Peter Renter, 
Stephen Rottenberger, 
Ambrosll Zubli, 
John Jacob Zubli, 
Christopher Ortman, 
Ruprecht Kalcher, 
Leonard Rauner, 
Christian Reidelsperger, 
Frederick "Wilhelm MoUer, 
Martin Hortzog, 
Chx-istian Hessler, 
John Plotter, 
Frank Sigismund, 
John Hernberger, 
George Bruckner, 
Carl Sigismund Ott, 
Matthias Zettler, 



Ruprecht Eischberger, 
John Peter Arnsdorff, 
Simon Reiter, 
Matthias Brandner, 
Christian Leimbergor, 
Martin Lackner, 
Lupretcht Steiner, 
Veitt Lemmenhoffer, 
John and Carl Floerl, 
Ruprecht Zimmerman, 
Simon Steiner, 
George Schwaiger, 
John Schmidt, 
Leonard Crause, 
Peter Gruber, 
Jacob Schartner, 
Joseph Leitner, 
John Cornberger, 
Andreas Grimminger, 
Matthias Bergsteiner, 
Veitt Landseller, 
Joseph Ernst, 
John Michael Reiser, 
Thomas Pichler, 
John Speilbiegler. 



The invasion of Georgia by the Spaniards, 
about this time, created considerable excitement 
throughout the colony; and the Salzburgers not 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 113 



only sympathized with their English neighbours, 
but cheerfully contributed to the defence of the 
country, and bore their part of all the burdens 
and inconveniences incident upon such occasions. 
Still they never lost sight of the object of their 
removal to America. They seem, however, not 
to have been very seriously embarrassed by the 
war, as may be learned from a letter of Mr. 
Bolzius, dated the 23d of July, 1740, addressed 
to Dr. Franke, of Halle. He says, in that letter : 
" Together with these spiritual blessings and 
the salutary effect of the word of God, in the 
conversion of many souls, we enjoy this year 
also, by the mercy of God, many temporal good 
things. The present war, and the burden of it, 
has not affected us much as yet, and in the great 
dearness the colony suffered last year we have 
not been in want of necessary provision. As 
to the present year, we have a very hopeful 
prospect of a good harvest, every thing in the 
fields and gardens growing so delightful as 
we have never seen before in this country. If 
Isaac, by the blessing of the Lord, received from 
what he had sowed an hundred fold, I believe I 
dare say, to the glory of God, our Salzburgers 
will receive a thousand-fold, notwithstanding the 
corn when it came out of the ground was entirely 
eaten up by worms, of which no one can form a 
right idea, unless he sees it with his own eyes. 
The land is really very fruitful, if the sins of the 
10- 



114 THE SALZBUHGERS 



inhabitants^ and the curse of God for such sins, 
does not eat it up, -which was formerly the un- 
happy case of the blessed land of Canaan. 

"And I am. heartily sorry to acquaint you, that 
I do not find in some of the inhabitants of the 
colony, a due thankfulness for, and contentment 
"with, the many blessings bestowed on them for 
several years together ; although those who are 
industrious and will labour for their maintenance 
may, as we do, live contentedly and subsist un- 
der the blessing promised by Paul, (Heb. xiii. 5,) 
< I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ;' 
which blessing the idle and unthankful are not 
entitled to." 

In the journal of Pastor Bolzius is found the, 
following minute; ^^lOth of August^ 1741.— We 
have this year plenty of peaches, and as this 
fruit does not keep, some of the people try to 
make a sort of brandy of them; others give 
them to the swine. This is more than anybody 
could have promised himself or others some 
years ago. Even at this time when I am writing, 
a man brings a large dish of blue grapes to me, 
grown wild in the woods ; they are of a sweet 
taste, and pretty like our European grapes, so 
that I am very apt to believe, the wild vines, 
if properly managed, would give good wine. 
Thanks to our gracious God, who gives us here 
every good thing for our support!" 

" dth of September, 1741. — Some time ago I 



■i 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 115 



wrote to an honoured friend in Europe, that the 
land in this country, if well managed, brings 
forth by the blessing of God, not only a hun- 
dred-fold, but a thousand-fold ; and I was this 
day confirmed therein. A woman, having two 
years ago picked out of Indian corn no more 
than three grains of rye, and planting them 
here at Ebenezer, one of these grains produced 
an hundred and seventy stalks and ears, and 
yielded to her a bag of corn as large as a coat 
pocket. 

^'True it is, notwithstanding the fertility of 
the land, the first tillers of it must undergo 
and struggle with great difficulties ; but those 
that come after them will reap the benefit 
thereof, if they go on to do their labour in the 
fear of God. The land is able to provide every 
good, and more particularly is pasturage very 
plenteous." 

Erom these extracts it will be seen that the 
settlement at Ebenezer and its vicinity was fully 
as prosperous as could have been expected under 
the circumstances. Additions were constantly 
making to it by new arrivals of emigrants from 
the fatherland. It appears, from a statement 
made by Mr. Benjamin Martyn, Secretary of the 
Trustees, that up to 1741, over twelve hundred 
German Protestants had arrived in the colony. 
Most of these were sent over by the charity of 
their friends in England and Germany. There 



116 THE SALZBURGERS 



were, however, many who came in 1735, and 
subsequently, for whom no provision was made. 
So anxious, however, were they to escape perse- 
cution in their native land and find an asylum 
in Georgia, that they consented to bind them- 
selves as servants to the Trustees, for five years 
after their arrival in Georgia, and to pay by their 
own labour the expense of their transportation. 
In fact, the indentures which they made bound 
not only themselves, but their children. The 
males who were under twenty were to serve until 
they were twenty-five, and the females who were 
above six were to serve until they arrived at the 
age of eighteen years. 

These conditions, however, were not always 
rigidly enforced, for it appears, from the minutes 
of the Trustees, that on the 26th of July, 1742, 
a petition was presented to that body signed by 
Christian Steinharel, Theobald KeiiFer, and 
others, stating that their term of service had 
expired, and praying the Trustees to grant them 
the freedom of their children at the expiration 
of the time (five years) for which the petitioners 
were bound. To the credit of the Trustees, it 
should ever be remembered, the prayer was 
granted. 

Among the Salzburgers who were sold, and 
whose children were apprenticed, was one, who, 
from the romantic history connected with 
his family, deserves, perhaps, special mention. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 117 



This was Mr. Frederick Helfenstein. If the 
tradition in reference to him is correct, he was 
a lineal descendant of the Count of Helfenstein, 
who, with his wife (a daughter of the Emperor 
Maximilian) and their youngest child, were 
butchered with seventy men under his command, 
in the servile insurrection which occurred in 
the time of Luther, commonly known as <'the 
Rebellion of the Peasantry." From that time 
the family were reduced to utter obscurity and 
the most abject poverty. Mr. Helfenstein, per- 
haps the last of the count's descendants, having 
served out an apprenticeship at the tanner's 
trade, and married a young lady to whom he 
became attached while learning his trade, emi- 
grated to America, and arrived in Savannah 
without the means to pay his passage. Conse- 
quently he and his wife were sold as servants to 
defray the expenses of their passage. Having 
fjiithfully served out his time, he removed to 
Goshen, about twelve miles below Ebenezer, 
and established himself in business. In the 
course of time he acquired a handsome compe- 
tency. But it will be necessary to speak of him 
hereafter. 

Many of the Salzburgers remained in Savan- 
nah and its vicinity, and formed the nucleus for 
the organization of a church in that city. It 
was, however, regarded for a long time as mis- 
sionary ground, and the congregation was sup- 



118 THE SALZBURGERS 



plied with preaching, from time to time, by the 
pastors at Ebenezer, and the Rev. U. Di*iesler, 
from Frederica. 

This gentleman (Mr. Driesler) had been sent 
over in 1743, by " the Society for the Propaga- 
tion of Christian Knowledge," to supply the 
spiritual wants of the Salzburgers, who had set- 
tled on St. Simon's Island. In 1744, he visited 
the brethren at Ebenezer. Mr. Bolzius thus 
speaks of him, under date of Febuary 24, 1744 : 
" Mr. Driesler arrived yesterday. He labours 
with the blessing of God in his small congrega- 
tion at Frederica, consisting of sixty-two souls. 
Captain Horten, the commandant of the fort at 
that place, gives him an honourable testimony; 
and we trust our friend will be an instrument 
to the salvation of many souls. Next Lord's 
day he is to preach in Savannah. This 
day he preaches both in Zion and Jerusalem 
churches." 

Mr. Driesler was spared to the congregation 
at Frederica but a short time. The Lord called 
him to his rest in the early part of the year 1745. 
He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Zubli, from 
Switzerland, who had charge of the church for 
several years. He seems to have had no con- 
nection with the pastors at Ebenezer, and was 
probably supported by the English officers com- 
manding the fort. Mr. Zubli continued pastor 
at Frederica only a few years, for as soon as the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 119 



Spanish and French war began, he removed to 
Orangeburg, in South Carolina.* 

It has been found impracticable to gather 
much information in regard to the German set- 
tlement at Frederica. It must, however, have 
been very flourishing at one time. A gentleman 
who visited the island in 1743, makes particular 
mention " of the quiet village of the Salzbur- 
gers ;" and says, ^'the whole town and country 
adjacent are quite rurally charming; and the 
improvements everywhere evince the greatest 
skill and industry, considering its late settle- 
ment." This beautiful town was, however, des- 
tined to an ephemeral existence. As early as 
1749 it began to decline, and in 1751 a journalist 
describes it «^as presenting the melancholy pros- 
pect of houses without inhabitants, barracks 
without soldiers, guns without carriages, and 
streets grown over with weeds. All appeared 
to me with a horrible aspect, and so different 
from what I once knew it, that I could scarce 
refrain from tears." 

It was about this time that Dr. H. M. Muh- 
lenberg first visited Ebenezer. He had, up to 
1741, been pastor of Hermersdorf, in Upper 
Lusatia, and inspector of the orphan-house in 
that place, but had accepted a call to the Luthe- 
ran church in Philadelphia. The object of his 
journey to Ebenezer is not definitely stated, but 

* AVhite. 



120 THE SALZBURGERS 



it is probable that he had been authorized by 
the friends and patrons of the Salzburgers in 
Germany to look into the condition of the colony, 
and report to them the result of his observa- 
tions. He remained only six days, but even 
this short sojourn seems to have been highly 
gratifying to the pastors at Ebenezer, as well as 
their people, for Pastor Gronau makes special 
mention of it in his journal. He remarks : 
" This day (October 11, 1742) my dear colleague 
(Mr. Bolzius) and Mr. Muhlenberg were to start 
for Charleston, but evening came on before 
things were ready. The day had not, however, 
been spent in vain. The preparations for the 
journey having been made, my colleague took 
leave of us in a prayer. 

" Never before have we spent so blessed and 
happy a season at Ebenezer. For the Lord had 
never before permitted us to embrace a dear 
friend from our native country, in whom we 
found a real brother in Christ." Mr. Bolzius 
accompanied Dr. Muhlenberg as far as Charles- 
ton, but returned in a few days to his field of 
labour. 

It has been stated that for many years the 
Salzburgers were unable to build a church, and 
were compelled to worship in the orphan-house ; 
but, through the assistance of their friends in 
Germany, they had succeeded in erecting a plain 
but comfortable house at Ebenezer, called <' Je- 



AND TIIEIIl DESCENDANTS. 121 



rusalem," and another about four miles below, 
called "Zion." The latter had become neces- 
sary, because the colonists were rapidly settling 
on the river below the town, and along the road 
leading from Ebenezer to Savannah. These 
churches were both in use in 1744. 

It would be profitable, if it were deemed ex- 
pedient, to make copious extracts from the 
journals of the pastors, to show the character 
of the instructions which they imparted to their 
people ; or rather to exhibit the deep-toned 
piety which the pastors at Ebenezer cultivated 
themselves, and which they sought to impart to 
their people. We may safely challenge a com- 
parison between the ministrations of these de- 
voted men, and those of any pastors in any 
other churches in point of fidelity and earnest- 
ness, in inculcating not only a refined and ele- 
vated morality, but more especially a pure and 
transforming system of evangelical Qhristiaiiity . 
Mr. Bolzius states that a little girl came to him, 
confessing that she had stolen a peach, and that 
conscience disturbed her so much on that account, 
that she could neither sleep nor work. I in- 
formed her, says Mr. Bolzius, that when the 
commission of what is generally considered a 
light sin disturbs our conscience, a fire begins to 
burn within us like the fires of hell, and then 
we no longer think of the distinctions between 
gross and trivial sins. I advised her to learn 
11 



122 THE SALZBURGEKS 

that God frequently improves the occasion of a 
•wrong lately committed by us to bring to our 
mind the mass of sin that fills our hearts, so 
that Tve may repent, and ask his forgiveness 
for Christ's sake. Finally, I dismissed her by 
bringing the following text to her recollection. 
" If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just 
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness."'"^ 

Such a course of religious training was not 
without its influence in forming the characters 
and regulating the conduct of the colonists. In 
fact, they became everywhere proverbial for 
the correctness of their external deportment, 
and especially for the Christian spirit which 
they displayed on all occasions. The testimony 
of their neighbours, of the citizens of Savannah, 
and even that of the colonial government, fur- 
nishes evidence that the congregation at Eben- 
ezer had acquired a very enviable reputation for 
their unostentatious piety. Amid their trials and 
privations they never lost sight of their spiritual 
improvement, and laboured sedulously to attain 
to a high standard of Christian experience and 
practice. 

These pious people, however, were about to 
experience a severe loss in the death of one of 
their devoted and godly pastors — Rev. Israel 



Hazelms. 



AND TIIEIR DESCENDANTS. 123 



C. Gronau. This melancholy event occurred in 
the month of January, 1745 ; Pastor Bolzius, 
thus records the mournful event : " Last Friday, 
January 11th, it pleased the Lord to call my 
dear brother and colleague to his rest. He fell 
asleep full of joy in his Saviour. On a stormy 
and rainy day, nearly a year since, while preach- 
ing to the Germans in Savannah, he caught cold 
at church, so that he was hardly able to perform 
service here the succeeding Sabbath. From 
the effects of that attack he never recovered. 
During the last six weeks of his life he was 
afflicted with a continued fever. The time of 
his illness was a source of edification to all of 
us who v/ere daily about his person. His heart 
continually enjoyed communion with his Re- 
deemer. Nothing troubled him, for he had an 
abiding sense of reconciliation with God, and 
realized the joy and peace of the Holy Ghost." 
When one of the Salzburg brethren took hold 
of his hand, which Mr. Gronau had lifted up in 
praise of God, he desired that the friend might 
support his arms in the uplifted position in which 
he had held them. This being done, he exclaimed, 
" Come, Lord Jesus ! Amen, Amen !" With these 
words he closed his lips and eyes, and entered 
into the "joy of his Lord, full of peace." On 
the following day, his remains wore interred in 
the cemetery connected with Jerusalem church. 



124 THE SALZBURGERS 



amid the unfeigned lamentations of his colleague 
and the people for whose temporal and spiritual 
advantage he had laboured with unremitting 
diligence and fidelity. As he had in all things 
<' adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour," so 
he went to the grave full of hope, leaving the 
testimony that '< God was with him." 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 125 



CHAPTER VL 

State of feeling at Ebenezer consequent on the death of Mr. Gro- 
nau— Mr. Bolzius writes to Germany for an assistant — His 
humility and devotion— The church in Germany send over 
another pastor — Rev. H. H. Lembke arrives at Ebenezer — His 
reception — Marries the widow of Mr. Gronau — Mr. Bolzius re- 
tains his position — Mr. Bolzius, as trustee, erects mills— Silk cul- 
ture introduced at Ebenezer — Mr. Amatis of Piedmont— Mulberry 
trees planted at Ebenezer — Success of the Salzburgers in raising 
silk — Bridge and causeway over Ebenezer Creek — New church 
and school-house erected — Pastoral labours — Extent of the field 
to be cultivated — Goshen church— Abercorn — Extension of the 
settlements around Ebenezer — Demand for more ministerial 
labour — Rev. C. Rabenhorst arrives at Ebenezer— Mr. Bolzius's 
letter on his arrival — Change of views — Provision for the sup- 
port of the new pastor — Condition of the colony — Mr. Bolzius 
assigns his trusteeship to Mr. Lembke — Copy of the deed of 
trust — The " Trust" to be transferred — Subsequent change — 
Erection of another mill — Mr. Bolzius begins to decline in 
health — The symbolical books — Proper views in relation to tho 
"Fathers" — Confessions and catechisms — Deep-toued piety of 
the first pastors at Ebenezer — Mr. Bolzius's labours — His letters 
— Rev. S. Urlsperger and Dr. Zeigenhagen — Close of his minis- 
terial duties — His illness and death — Mr. Bolzius's family. 

As was to have been expected, the death of 
Mr. Gronau cast quite a gloom over the settle- 
ment at Ebenezer. By his consistent Christian 
deportment, he had gained the confidence and 
esteem of the -whole community. He was par- 
11- 



126 THE SALZBUKGERS 



ticularly endeared to those who had come over 
from Germany under his care, and for whose 
welfare he had made so many sacrifices. Upon 
no one, however, did the loss seem to fall so 
heavily as upon his colleague, Mr. Bolzius. 
They had been united by the strongest ties of 
friendship and Christian affection, and had 
laboured together for thirteen years under cir- 
cumstances which were well calculated to unite 
them in indissoluble bonds. Impelled by a 
sense of duty to their divine Master, they had 
in company left their native land, to become the 
spiritual guides of a devoted and persecuted 
people. They had been fellow-suiferers in the 
perils of the sea, and in all the dangers and 
privations incident upon establishing a colony in 
an unbroken wilderness. For many years they 
had taken " sw^eet counsel together, and gone to 
the house of God in company." But all these 
strong and endearing relations are now broken, 
and Mr. Uolzius is left alone, with all the 
weighty responsibility of his important station. 
No one could feel more sensibly than he did the 
obligations connected with his position. Nor 
was he disposed to shrink from them. Never- 
theless, he writes to the friends of the Salzbur- 
gers in Germany, requesting that a preacher 
might be sent over to supply the place of his 
departed friend and brother, Gronau. The fol- 
lowing extract from his letter to Rev. S. Url- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 127 



sperger, at Augsburg, is characteristic of his 
Christian humility: " May God send me a faith- 
ful and good man in the place of my departed 
friend ! Will you have the goodness to select 
such a one for me, inasmuch as I shall not be 
able for any length of time to bear the burden 
of business that overwhelms me. I, too, feel 
the approach of age, and may be unexpectedly 
called away. Could I have my own wish, I 
would ask the favour of you to send a pastor 
primarius to this place, so that I might take 
the station of my departed brother. My mind 
has frequently dwelt on this subject, especially 
during the last illness of Mr. Gronau; and I 
can assure you that I would prefer by far being 
adjunct to the new pastor, to retaining the sta- 
tion I now hold, for I am too weak to stand in 
front of the battle. May God make an arrange- 
ment of this kind practicable !" 

The request of Mr. Bolzius for the appointment 
of an adjunct was favourably received, and early in 
the spring of 1T46, the Rev. Herman H. Lembke 
was sent over to Ebenezer to supply the vacancy 
occasioned by the death of the lamented Gronau. 
His arrival was hailed with great satisfaction by 
the Salzburgers, and particularly by Mr. Bol- 
zius. Mr. Lembke entered upon his duties with 
great energy, and it soon became manifest that 
the patrons of the church in Germany had made 
a very judicious selection. About a year after 



128 THE SALZBURGEnS 



his arrival, he married the widow of Mr. Gronau, 
who, it appears, was a near relative of Mr. Bol- 
zius, and this new relation seems to have been 
mutually agreeable and beneficial to all parties. 

Mr. Bolzius, acting under the advice of the 
church in Germany, continued to retain his posi- 
tion as principal pastor, and, as we have before 
seen, the management of all the affairs of the 
colony, both spiritual and financial, was intrusted 
to him. He, however, associated Mr. Lembke 
with him, as fully as a sense of duty would 
permit. 

It will be proper here to state some of the 
responsibilities which devolved upon Mr. Bolzius. 
Beside the onerous ministerial duties connected 
with so large a field of labour, he seems to have 
been appointed trustee for all the funds which 
had been collected in Europe for the benefit of 
the congregation at Ebenezer. We consequently 
find him engaged in making investments, pur- 
chasing land, erecting rice-mills, as well as grist 
and saw-mills, and superintending the whole in- 
dustrial economy of the colony. To carry out 
his plans, he procured mill-stones and other ne- 
cessary materials from Germany, and enlisted 
the kind offices of General Oglethorpe, who 
cheerfully aided Mr. Bolzius in all his plans 
which contemplated the comfort and general im- 
provement of the Salzburgers. During their 
residence at Old Ebenezer, a mill was established 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 129 



upon Ebenezer Creek, but this they were com- 
pelled to abandon. 

Another important interest intrusted to Mr. 
Bolzius Avas the introduction among the Ger- 
mans of the silk culture. As early as 1733, 
the " Trustees for the Settlement of Georgia," 
induced Mr. Nicolas Amatis, of Piedmont, to 
remove to Georgia, taking with him his servant, 
Jacques Camuse, his wife, and three sons, who 
were to instruct the colonists in the rearing of 
silk-worms and the manufacture of silk."^ 

In 1736, mulberry-trees were planted at 
Ebenezer under the direction of Mr. Bolzius, 
and the Salzburgers were among the first and 
most successful in carrying out the wishes of the 
Trustees in this particular. In 1742, five hun- 
dred trees were sent to Ebenezer, and a ma- 
chine was erected for preparing the silk. In 1745 
and 1746, specimens were sent to England, and 
in 1748, four hundred and sixty-four pounds 
were produced. In 1749, the Trustees authorized 
Mr. Bolzius to erect ten sheds and ten machines 
for reeling, and other means necessary to carry 
on the manufacture. In 1750, nearly all the 
colonists had abandoned the experiment of silk- 
raising, except the Salzburgers. They persevered, 
and every year became more skilled in the busi- 
ness, and in 1751, they sent over to England a 
thousand pounds of cocoons, and seventy-four 

* Stevens. 



130 THE SALZBUKGERS 



'pounds two ounces of raw silk, yielding the 
handsome sum of one hundred and ten pounds 
sterling, or upwards of five hundred dollars, the 
price being at that time thirty shillings per 
pound. To encourage the Germans to persevere 
in their efforts, which thus far had been very 
successful, the Trustees gave a reeling-machine 
to each female, who should become mistress in 
the art of spinning, and two pounds in money. 
These marks of favour were duly appreciated, 
and the culture of silk was carried on success- 
fully for a number of years. Many mulberry- 
trees are still standing at Ebenezer, which no 
doubt have sprung from the original stock ; and 
many of the descendants of the Salzburgers 
continue to raise silk, which they manufacture 
into fishing-lines, and sell very readily in Sa- 
vannah. 

About this time the Salzburgers, at the sug- 
gestion of Mr. Bolzius, commenced the construc- 
tion of a bridge over Ebenezer Creek, and a 
causeway through the low grounds adjoining, 
thus connecting the town of Ebenezer with the 
settlements which had been made on the north 
side of that creek. These measures were of 
great advantage, both to the town and the ad- 
joining neighbourhood. The population in that 
location, which is called even to this day <-^the 
Bluffs'' increased so rapidly that it soon became 
necessary to erect a new church. For this pur- 



AA^I) TTIETR DESCENDANTS. 131 



pose, a tract of one liunclred acres of land was 
obtained from the Trustees, and a commodious 
edifice was erected, called ''Bethany;" a school- 
house was also built, together with a residence 
for the teacher. This church was located about 
five miles north-west from Ebenezer. It con- 
tinued to exist up to the year 1774, when Dr. 
Muhlenburg made his second visit to Ebenezer ; 
but soon after the Revolutionary War it was 
allowed to decay, and was never rebuilt. The 
deed for this church, as we learn from Dr. Muh- 
lenburg's journal, was originally made to H. 
H. Lembke, John Casper Wertseh, and John 
Michael, and was dated 1751. It calls for one 
hundred acres for Bethany church and a school- 
house. The object is thus defined : "In St. 
Matthew's Parish for the use of a church and 
school-house, and for the support and mainte- 
nance of the minister and master thereof." 

Besides this church, another small one was 
erected at Goshen, about ten miles below Eben- 
ezer, near the road leading to Savannah, for the 
accommodation of the Salzburgers who had set- 
tled in that neighbourhood and at Abercorn. 
Thus it will be seen that four Lutheran churches 
were now existing in the Parish of St. Matthew, 
besides the one in Savannah. The arrangement 
in reference to ministerial labour was, that the 
pastors should supply the church in Savannah, 
together with Jerusalem, Zion, Bethany, and 



132 THE SALZBURGERS 



Goshen, dividing the labours equally among 
themselves, as far as might be practicable, but 
alwa^^s under the direction of the senior pastor. 
It will be apparent that this was a large field to 
cultivate, even for two ministers. It covered an 
area of more than thirty miles, and besides the 
fatigue connected with journeying from church 
to church, these pious men preached every Sab- 
bath, and catechized the youth in their congre- 
gations on the same day ; and delivered weekly 
lectures in all the churches, besides holding their 
regular ministerial conference for prayer and 
mutual edification. 

The population at Ebenezer and the surround- 
ing settlements gradually increased, and was 
augmented by occasional arrivals from Germany; 
so that as early as 1750 numerous farms were 
in successful culture on both sides of the road 
leading from Savannah to Augusta, as well as 
upon the banks of the Savannah river, and 
Lockner's, Ebenezer, and Mill creeks. With 
the rapid advancement of the colony, the duties 
of the pastors at Ebenezer were greatly multi- 
plied, so much so, that the patrons of the church 
in Germany deemed it necessary to send over 
an additional minister. In 1752, the Rev. 
Christian Rabenhorst was selected by Senior 
Urlsperger, at Augsburg, and with him came a 
colony of emigrants from Wurtemberg. Although 
Mr. Bolzius was very much pleased to receive 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 133 



these nev.' recruits for bis colony, yet he did not 
see any necessity, at first, for the appointment 
of an additional pastor. He was, however, sub- 
sequently convinced that he had been mistaken 
in his opinion, for in a letter addressed to Mr. 
Urlsperger, dated February 9, 1753, he re- 
marks: "I have to acknowledge, with shame 
and humiliation, that when I first was informed of 
the appointment of a third minister for Ebenezer, 
and ever afterward when I saw him, I believed 
such an appointment to be superfluous ; but 
since we have become better acquainted with 
him, and, through the rich grace of the Holy 
Spirit, felt that he was one heart and soul with 
us in religion, office, and brotherly conduct; and 
when, after my last return from Charleston, I 
discovered the decrease of my bodily strength, 
I was humbly rejoiced at the goodness of God, 
who has, in addition to many other precious gifts, 
sent us (without our wish or desire) this faithful 
and prudent brother, Timotheus. What gratifi- 
cation does it aiford me, and my dear brother-in- 
law, Lembke, to receive the assistance, and to be 
supported by this cheerful, willing, and laborious 
man, whom we have to restrain, lest his unre- 
mitting activity may prove injurious to him be- 
fore he is acclimatized. We all have work 
enough to do, and do all with pleasure. Mr. 
Rabenhorst enjoys the good-will of the people 
in a high degree." Thus it will be seen that 

12 



134 THE PALZEUPvOERB 



Mr. Bolzius, always ready to acknowledge the hand 
of God in every event of his life, and to yield sub- 
missively to the wishes of the reverend fathers 
in Germany, gathered fresh strength and confi- 
dence from his experience. These three pious 
and self-denying men continued to labour together 
harmoniously, and with great success for nearly 
twelve years ; though the external affairs of the 
colony were at times very distressing, arising 
partly from the eifects of the Spanish war, and 
partly from the occasional failure of their crops ; 
still, amid all these untoward circumstances, the 
colonists were not allowed to despair. They 
maintained an unwavering confidence in the 
good providence of God, and were for the most 
part contented and happy. 

The arrival of Mr. Rabenhorst at Ebenezer 
did not, however, increase the pecuniary embar- 
rassment of the congregation, for there -is evi- 
dence in the records that a capital, amounting 
to £649 16s. 6d., was raised in Germany and 
placed in his hands, from the interest of which 
he was to derive his support. For this money 
he gave his bond, obligating himself and his 
heirs, assigns, &c., that the fund should be used 
for no other purpose, and that it should be ap- 
plied, after his death, for the support of his 
successor. 

This was a wise provision, particularly at this 
juncture ; for it was about the time of Mr 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 135 



Rabenhorst's arrival in America, that the " Trus- 
tees" surrendered their charter to the crown, 
and Georgia became a rojal province. The 
Salzburgers, not being attached to the Esta- 
blished Church, could expect very little further 
aid from England, and were thrown almost en- 
tirely upon the support of their German bene- 
factors. 

In view of his increasing age and infirmity, 
Mr. Bolzius thought it expedient that he should 
transfer the trust which had been vested in him 
to the Rev. H. H. Lembke. This he did with 
the consent of the Lutheran pastors at London, 
Halle, and Augsburg. The trust was duly con- 
veyed in a legal instrument, dated April 15, 
1757. It will, perhaps, be interesting to insert 
here a portion of said document, inasmuch as it 
will serve to show the character of the property 
which the Salzburgers then owned, and the pur- 
pose for which it was intended. The instrument 
reads thus: 

" In the name of Jesus : Inasmuch as it is unknown 
to me how soon the Lord may call me hence by death, 
and as it is my duty daily to set my house in order, and 
to explain any irregularity or misunderstanding which 
might possibly arise after my decease, I have deemed it 
necessary and expedient, as being advised by my most 
worthy colleague, to give information to my colleague 
and brother-in-law, Herman II. Lembke, as adjunct pas- 
tor and future successor in office, concerning the design 
of our two grist-mills, the saw-mill, and the rice stanip- 
ing-mill; and to authorize him, by this instrument of 



136 THE SALZBURGER3 



writing, to take the superintendence of said mill esta- 
blishment, during my life and after my death; so that the 
objects for which they were instituted may be gradually 
attained. The objects were threefold: 1. That all the 
mills should be firmly invested and in some respects im- 
proved. 2. That, by the profits of the same, other esta- 
blishments should in the process of time be sustained in 
the Ebenezer congregation, such as churches and schools, 
and also dwellings for ministers and school-teachers, by 
the joint labours of the members of the congregation. 
Likewise, that more ample provision should be made for 
pastors and school-teachers. And, 3. That widows and 
orphans, the sick, and the superannuated should be able 
to derive some assistance therefrom. 

" The circumstances which gave rise to the erection of 
said mills are these : I was solicited by the congregation 
for a number of years to erect a small mill, at a cost of 
about ten or twelve pounds sterling, to meet their most 
pressing wants, in grinding their Indian corn, wheat, and 
rye into flour. After the mill was commenced, by the 
assistance of the major part of the male members of the 
congregation, on the site where the mill now stands, the 
sum proposed was soon found to be totally inadequate, 
although I obtained gratuitously, by personal request, 
the mill-stones and some iron materials from General 
Oglethorpe. Hence it became necessary to relinquish 
the building of the orphan-house, and appropriate the 
funds placed in my hands for that purpose to the 
completion of the mill. For the congregation were not 
content to have the former without the latter, and par- 
ticularly as there seemed to be no immediate demand for 
such an institution ; they preferred to provide for the few 
orphans in town by taking them into their service. The 
money requisite to complete the mills I received partly 
from the Trustees, and partly from other patrons, through 
the exertions of our fathers in London, Augsburg, and 
Halle. To secure the balance of funds necessary to com- 
plete my plans, I was compelled to borrow money, trust- 
ing in God, who has hitherto led mc most wonderfully, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 137 



wisely, graciously, and mightily, by his paternal Provi- 
dence. He has so directed, by his blessings, the opera- 
tions of the mills, and the trade connected with them, 
and by means also of donations from Europe, that the 
loan was gradually refunded, and that all the debts con- 
tracted by the erection of the important saw-mill, have 
been duly paid. To these works the members of the con- 
gregation contributed nothing, but have cause of great 
thankfulness that the mills have proved such a blessing 
to them. Inasmuch as the boards and other lumber could 
not be sold for money, but were given in exchange for 
goods, it became necessary to establish a trading-house. 
For this purpose I appropriated the first fund created by 
the charitable donations from Europe, in the time of Mr. 
Mayer. 

" From this statement, to the truth of which all the 
surviving Salzburgers can testify, (much of which is also 
known to Mr. Lembke,) it is very evident that the wonder- 
ful God has made use of me, unworthy as I am, as a 
feeble instrument for the procurement of the means and 
materials for the endowment of these extensive mill es- 
tablishments, and the laying of the foundation of the 
mill-trade. There remains, therefore, no doubt, that I 
am authorized to confer the superintendence of the mill- 
establishment and the trade connected with it, upon my 
worthy colleague and successor Lembke alone, and none 
other beside or above him. This I do herewith solemnly 
perform, after mature reflection and deliberation, in the 
name of God and our reverend fathers. May God bless 
his exertions in behalf of these important works, by his 
counsel and assistance, that His great name may be 
glorified, and all the above objects be attained ! 

John Martin Bolzius, 

Minister in this place. 

Ebenezer, in Georgia, \ 
April 15, 1757." J 

This ''power of attorney," as the old church 
record terms it, was dulv signed and delivered at 

12* • 



138 ■ THE SALZBURGERS 



the time specified, and was renewed on the 19th 
of August, 1765, just four months before the 
death of Mr. Bolzius. Tavo years subsequently 
(April 30, 1767) Mr. Lembke assigned the same 
instrument to Mr. Rabenhorst. From this it 
would seem that it was originally designed that 
this trust should be regularly transferred by each 
pastor to his successor. 

Subsequently, however, a change was made, 
by which seven trustees were chosen annually, 
on Easter Monday, from among the members, to 
whom the property of every kind belonging to 
the congregation v/as deeded in trust. This 
feature in the government of the church is main- 
tained to the present day. 

It appears, that by royal grants, and pur- 
chases made by Mr. Bolzius, nine hundred and 
twenty-five acres of land were connected with 
the mill establishments, and that the value of 
this property was once estimated at one thousand 
five hundred pounds sterling. The mills were, 
however, in the course of time suffered to fall to 
decay, and by the depreciation in the value of 
lands nearly the whole of this investment was 
lost. 

Besides this mill, another was erected on a 
lot of one hundred acres, of which Messrs. Bol- 
zius and Lembke took possession without a grant. 
The cost of building this mill was paid partly 
by contributions from Europe, and partly from 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 130 



the income of the other mill. But, in 1764, it 
was sold for fifty pounds sterling, and this amount 
was appropriated toward increasing the fund 
for the support of a third minister and a school- 
master. 

Mr. Bolzius, though declining in strength, 
continued to discharge his duties faithfully, and 
to watch over the interests of the Salzburgers 
with unabated concern. In fact, his solicitude 
seemed to increase with his advancing years ; 
and every letter which he wrote to the friends 
in Germany evinced how deeply the warmest 
feelings of his heart were enlisted on behalf of 
the people of his charge, and how ardent was 
his zeal in promoting the glory of God. 

There is one striking feature in all his letters. 
We allude to the deep-toned piety which per- 
vades almost every line. It is manifest that he 
and all the first pastors at Ebenezer were men 
of a truly devotional spirit. Though, as wc 
have seen, they were all required to give their 
assent to the Augsburg Confession, and the 
Symbolical Books, yet their religion was some- 
thing more vital and soul-pervading than the cold 
4' orthodoxy" which is too often associated with 
symbolism or sacramentalism. And our mo- 
dern theologians, whose zeal for the Symbolical 
Books, and whose reverence for the ''fathers," 
seem at times to run away with their good sense 
and Christian charity, would do well to study such 



140 THE SALZBURGEBS 



models as Bolzius, Gronau, Lembke, and Raben- 
horst. They loved and venerated our confes- 
sions and catechisms, and sought to indoctrinate 
their people in the principles of the Protestant 
faith, as taught by Luther and his noble com- 
peers ; but they had the wisdom to discriminate 
between those things which were essential and 
those which were indifferent, and made it the 
great object of their ministry to have the peo- 
ple of their charge soundly converted and made 
Lutherans and Christians, not by a mere out- 
ward profession, but by the cultivation and full 
development of a pure and holy inner life — the 
life of the soul renewed by grace, and united to 
Christ by a living, active faith. 

In a letter written the early part of the year 
1759, Pastor Bolzius thus speaks: "In our corner 
of the earth we have recently enjoyed the pro- 
tection and blessing of our Heavenly Father, 
both in temporal and spiritual things. Though 
we have not been free from trials and difficulties, 
still they have been light, and, as we trust, have 
been subservient to our welfare and our further- 
ance in the divine life, through the kind direc- 
tion of a wise providence. We acknowledge, to 
the praise of God, that piety and contentment 
still reign among us, as even strangers are 
willing to admit. With my dear brethren in 
office, Messrs. Lembke and Rabenhorst, I stand 
in the most friendly collegiate connection. 



AND TIIEIK DESCENDANTS. 141 



Every week we meet in conference and for 
prayer, by which meetings our mutual love is 
cemented through the blessing of God. The 
same blessing also prevents our labour among 
the people from being unfruitful. Among our 
congregation are many men and women Avho are 
truly converted to God, and who walk in the 
truth, are ornaments to our office, and humble 
assistants in the discharge of our duties. Though, 
on account of the war and the repeated failure 
of crops, every article of living is high, yet our 
heavenly Father gives us our daily bread in the 
enjoyment of peace and health among ourselves. 
If many, who in the first seasons of trial left 
us, had endured a little while longer, they would 
have experienced the truth of the proverb : 
'After winter, spring does come.' " 

This letter shows very plainly the spirit which 
actuated Mr. Bolzius and his colleagues in the 
discharge of their duties ; and it should not be a 
matter of surprise that their faithful and self- 
denying labours were productive of such re- 
markable effects upon the moral and religious 
characters of their flocks. Walking themselves 
in the " ordinances and commandments of God 
blameless," they were worthy ensamples to those 
over whose souls they watched, and the great 
Head of the church set his seal of approbation 
to the fidelity of their ministry, in the numbers 
who through their instrumentality were '' turned 



142 THE SALZBURGERS 



from darkness to light, and from the power of 
Satan unto God." 

One of these devoted pastors, however, was 
about to be removed. About the year 1762, 
the faithful and undaunted Bolzius began to 
give evidence of declining health. In his letters 
to the patrons of the colony in Germany, he 
made mention of being frequently attacked with 
fever, which had impaired his constitution and 
brought on a distressing cough, which no medi- 
cine could remove. It was manifest to all who 
saw him that nature was yielding to the inroads 
of disease, and that his pilgrimage was rapidly 
drawing to a close. Nevertheless, he never left 
the post of duty, but continued to perform to the 
very last, as far as his strength would permit, the 
arduous labours of his station ; being fully deter- 
mined to relinquish his charge only with his life. 
His letters to his friends in Europe will show 
the state of his mind in view of his approaching 
end. In writing to Senior Urlsperger of Augs- 
burg, he says : " I am hastening toward my 
home. He who sees his wedding-day is not 
concerned about trifles. It has pleased my 
dear Redeemer for several months to visit me 
with disease and infirmities, which most proba- 
bly will terminate in death. I am in his hand, 
for he does all things well ; as my own expe- 
rience has taught me during my whole pilgrim- 
age, but more especially during the ihirty-two 



AND TIIETR, BESCEXDAXTS. 14-^ 



years of my pastoral office among my dear 
Salzburgers. Dearest heavenly Father ! accept 
my humble thanks for all thy love and faithful- 
ness 1 Expecting that my dear Redeemer will 
soon deliver me from every evil, and help me 
into his heavenly kingdom, I deem it my duty, 
though with a feeble hand, to write a few lines 
to you, to express my gratitude to you for all 
the spiritual and temporal acts of kindness mani- 
fested toward me, (the most unworthy of men,) 
toward my family, my brethren in office, and to 
the whole congregation for more than thirty- 
two years; and through you I wish to express 
my thanks once more to all the Christian bene- 
factors of Ebenezer, who live in my beloved 
fatherland." 

In a letter to Dr. Zeigenhagen of London, 
he expresses himself as follows : '<■ This will pro- 
bably be the last letter which I shall write to 
you, with feeble hands and weak eyes. I am so 
reduced with illness, that I can scarcely walk a 
few steps, and am unable to discharge any of 
the duties of my office. All that I do is, to 
prepare myself for a happy exit out of this 
world, by the word of God and prayer, through 
the assistance of the Holy Spirit. And God be 
praised, I can and may say, 'If we live, we 
live unto the Lord ; if we die, we die unto the 
Lord : whether we live therefore or die, we are 
the Lord's.' How great is the happiness to 



144 THE SALZBURG ESS 



possess this knowledge ! Praised and blessed be 
God for the unspeakable gift of his only-begot- 
ten Son to us sinners ; to me also, the chief of 
them ; with whom he has given all we now have 
and enjoy in life and in death, as well as what 
we shall forever and ever enjoy in the house of 
our Father in the sweetest and most blessed 
communion with the Triune God ! It is a faith- 
ful saying — I shall be happy forever. My eyes 
shall behold the source of all joy. I know in 
whom I have believed, and I am sure there is 
laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 

A few months before his death there was a 
slight improvement in his health, and he resumed 
his duties as pastor. For seven successive Sab- 
baths he preached in Jerusalem church, nor 
would he spare himself, notwithstanding the en- 
treaties of his brethren, and their offers to per- 
form his duties for him. His general reply was, 
"I have soon to appear with my hearers before 
the judgment-seat of Christ, and I do not wish 
that one of them should accuse me there of 
having been the cause of his condemnation." 
His last sermon was preached on the fifteenth 
Sunday after Trinity, the subject of which was, 
" The happinpss of the true Christian.'' 

From that time his disease seemed to attack 
him with renewed violence. The swelling in his 
feet increased, and he was no longer able to leave 
the house. His colleagues testify that he bore 



AND TTTEITl DKPCENDANTS. 



the severest pain with the meekness of a lamb, 
and with perfect resignation to the will of God. 
During a visit of Pastor Lembke, he expressed 
the joyful state of his mind in the following 
terms : " I cannot describe how happy I am in 
my solitude, while I enjoy the presence and 
communion with my Saviour : happy ! oh, inde- 
scribably happy. From the 7th to the 19th of 
November, a little gruel was all the refreshment 
he could take. On the 14th, he desired to unite 
with his Christian friends in the celebration of 
the Lord's Supper. Previous to the celebration 
of this ordinance, he remarked to Mr. Lembke : 
"I acknowledge our Protestant religion as a 
precious treasure in life and in death ! In my- 
self I discover naught but sin, but I know that 
God has granted me forgiveness for Christ's sake." 
On the 18th, Mr. Bolzius became suddenly much 
worse, and the family sent for Mr. Lembke. On 
reaching the house Mr. Lembke found him very 
much prostrated, but still perfectly rational. 
Mr. Lembke addressed him in these words : 
"Father, I will that they whom thou hast given 
me, be with me where I am, that they may see 
my glory, which thou hast given me." Mr. 
Bolzius repeated the words : " That they may 
see my glory;" and then continued: "Ah, how 
delightful it is in yonder heaven ! how delightful 
to be with Christ !" His bodily sufferings seeming 
to increase, he patiently remarked, " This is a 

13 



14G THK HALZLURCJETiS 



day of trial." In the evening his friends, sup- 
posing that his dissolution was approaching ad- 
justed his pillow that he might rest the easier ; 
but he almost immediately revived, and said, 
»' Not yet ; I have still to bear my sufferings for 
one night longer." The next morning, at six 
o'clock, being the 19th o^ November, 1765, this 
venerable servant of Christ calmly resigned his 
spirit into the hands of God, in the sixty-second 
year of his eventful and useful life. The day 
following, his remains were carried to Jerusalem 
church, when Mr. Lembke and Mr. Rabenhorst 
addressed the large assemblage, who had col- 
lected from all parts of the surrounding country, 
to pay a just tribute of respect to one who had 
been a father to them in more senses than one, 
and to whose wise counsels and faithful and 
zealous ministrations they were indebted, under 
God, for much of their temporal and spiritual 
prosperity. The scene was a truly affecting 
one, as many of the aged Salzburgers who had 
been his companions in all his tra,vels and perils, 
both by sea and by land, and who had shared 
his sympathies and his prayers, stood and looked 
for the last time upon the countenance of their 
best earthly friend, and bedewed his corpse with 
their tears. He was buried in the cemetery, 
near Jerusalem church, where his remains still 
repose. It is, however, a melancholy truth, that 
no monument marks his resting-place, and a 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 147 



stranger would seek his grave in vain. Never- 
theless, he sleeps none the less sweetly and hope- 
fully, and has left in the hearts of the good and 
wise a monument more durable than brass. His 
memory will remain green as long as Lutheran- 
ism has a name in the South, or there is virtue 
and intelligence enough among the people of 
Georgia to appreciate his almost apostolic la- 
bours, and his life of long and arduous and 
patient toil in the cause of his divine Redeemer 
and the persecuted and exiled Salzburgers. Mr. 
Bolzius left only two children. He had lost 
two before his death, whose sickness and death 
are supposed to have been caused by opening 
some of the swamp-lands near Ebenezer for the 
cultivation of rice. At the time of his decease 
his only son was a student at Halle, and it is 
believed that he never returned to this country. 
When Mr. Muhlenburg visited Ebenezer, in 
1774, an only maiden daughter of Mr. Bolzius 
(Miss Catherine) was residing in the family of 
her aunt, the Widow Lembke. Her subsequent 
history could not be ascertained. It is a melan- 
choly thought that no one of his descendants 
survived to perpetuate his name in this country, 
and that the whole family have become extinct. 
Nevertheless, they live in a purer and brighter 
sphere, and though lost to the church on earth, 
they no doubt constitute a part of the church 
triumphant in heaven. 



148 THE SALZBURGERS 



CHAPTER VII. 

State of affiiirs at Ebenezer consequent upon the death of Mi*. 
Bolzius — Increase of population and of ministerial labour — 
Transfer of trust to Mr. Rabenhorst — Harmony between the 
two pastors — Jerusalem church built at Ebenezer — Description 
of the edifice — The Swan, Luther's coat of arms — Death of 
Mr. Lembke— His character as a preacher — Gottlieb Snider — 
Rev. C. F. Triebner sent over as successor to Mr. Lembke — 
His character — Marries a daughter of Mr. Lembke — Injudi- 
cious selection — Division in the church — Controversy between 
Messrs. Rabenhorst and Triebner — Dr. H. M. Muhlenburg ar- 
rives at Ebenezer — Object of his mission — His prudent and 
judicious conduct — The grounds of dispute stated — Elders pre- 
fer charges against Mr. Triebner — Origin of the difficulty — Dr. 
Muhlenburg's efforts to reconcile the parties — His views of the 
case — Opinion of Mr. Triebner — Plan of settlement proposed — 
Rconciliation — Dr. Muhlenburg's reflections — His opinion of 
Mr. Rabenhorst — Exculpates him from all censure — His esti- 
mation of Mr. Rabenhorst as a man and as a preacher — Dr. 
Muhlenburg's labours among the Salzburgers — Saves the church 
property from alienation. 

The death of Mr. Bolzius devolved upon 
Messrs. Lembke and Rabenhorst, his successors, 
the entire charge of the aifairs of the colony. 
We have already seen that, owing to the emigra- 
tion from Germany, and the rapid natural in- 
crease of the population, the field of ministerial 
labour had become very large, and the pastoral 
duties necessarily arduous. Now, that one of 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 140 



their number had been called to his reward, 
these labours would be very much increased, 
and their cares and anxieties greatly multiplied. 
It has already been stated, that some time pre- 
vious to his death, Mr. Bolzius had assigned to 
Mr. Lembke the entire charge of the mill 
establishments, and all the property belonging to 
the congregations at Ebenezer. This was done 
in 1757. In 1767, Mr. Lembke made a similar 
transfer to Mr. Rabenhorst: this latter transfer 
was made two years after the death of Mr. 
Bolzius. 

These two faithful men laboured harmoniously 
and successfully in the discharge of their heavy 
civil and religious obligations, and gave entire 
satisfaction to those with whose interests they 
were intrusted. It has been found impractica- 
ble to gather much information in regard to the 
administration of affairs at Ebenezer during the 
lifetime of Mr. Lembke. The most important, 
measure was the building of the large brick 
church, which still stands near the banks of the 
Savannah river. A view of the church may be 
seen on the opposite page. The materials of 
which this church was constructed, were pre- 
pared for the most part among the Salzburgers 
themselves, but the funds necessary to defray the 
expenses of its erection were contributed by their 
friends in Germany. It is stated in Mr. Muhlen- 
burg's journal, that the sum received for this 



150 THE SALZBURGEllS 



purpose from Europe amounted to something over 
one thousand dollars, and Mr. Rabenhorst gave 
upward of one hundred and fifty dollars. The 
church is built of brick, eighty by sixty feet, and 
■was originally designed for a two-story edifice. 
It is surmounted by a neat belfry, on the top of 
which is a swan, which was said to have been 
Luther's coat of arms, and is frequently placed 
on the spire of Lutheran churches in Europe.* 
The edifice is a plain but substantial one, and is 
in every respect creditable to those who planned 
and erected it. But reference will be made to 
it again. 

It has not been found practicable to ascer- 
tain how long Mr. Lembke continued his labours 
among the Salzburgers ; nor under what circum- 
stances he closed his career. The most general 
opinion is, that he departed this life a short time 
before the Revolutionary War. Certain it is, 
that he was dead in 1774, when Mr. Muhlen- 
burg visited Ebenezer. Although there are no 
means of ascertaining the particulars connected 
with his dying moments, it is not hazarding too 
much to assert, that like his predecessors, his 
end was peaceful and triumphant. This we have 

•••• There is a tradition, that when John Huss, the Bohemian 
martyr, was burned by order of the Council of Constance, he re- 
marked, "You this day burn a goose, (Huss signifying goose;) but 
a hundred years hence a swan will arise, whom you will not bo 
able to burn :'' in the Bohemian, Luther signifies a " swan." 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 151 



a right to infer from his character. That he 
was an eminently pious man, is universally ad- 
mitted by all who knew him. It was our privi- 
lege, in the years 1845 and 1846, to converse 
with a venerable father in Israel, (Mr. Gottlieb 
Snider,) who lived to the advanced age of more 
than four-score years, and who had known Mr. 
Lembke personally, and had often heard him 
preach. He bore strong testimony to the learn- 
ing, piety, and zeal of Mr. Lembke, and seemed 
to regard him with the highest veneration. He 
stated, too, that this was the general estimate in 
which he was held by the entire congregation. 
No fears, then, need be entertained in reference 
to the end of such a man. 

Upon the death of Mr. Lembke, the Rev. 
Christopher F. Triebner was sent over by the 
reverend fathers in Germany, as an adjunct to 
Mr. Rabenhorst. Mr. Tribner was a young 
man of fine talents, but very impetuous in his 
character, and seems to have possessed but a 
very small share of the humility and piety which 
characterized his predecessors. Shortly after 
his arrival he married a daughter of Mr. Lembke, 
who was also a niece of Mr. Bolzius. His 
selection as an assistant pastor at Ebenezer was 
attended with the most disastrous consequences 
to the congregation; for he succeeded in raising 
such turmoil and strife among the members, that 
Mr. Muhlenburg was sent on a special miy^ion 



152 THE SALZBUllGERS 



to Ebenezer, in 1774, to heal the difficulties 
which Mr. Triebner had occasioned, and, if possi- 
ble, to save the congregation from ruin. 

Dr. Muhlenburg arrived at Ebenezer in No- 
vember, 1774, having been especially deputed 
by the Lutheran pastors in Europe (under whose 
spiritual care the Salzburgers had been placed) 
to investigate the grievances complained of seve- 
rally by Messrs. Triebner and Rabenhorst. As 
was to have been expected from his wisdom and 
experience. Dr. Muhlenburg managed this un- 
pleasant matter with a great deal of prudence 
and good judgment. His first step was to call 
upon the pastors personally, and after a friendly 
interview with them, to request that each one 
would furnish him with a written statement of 
his grievances. This was accordingly done, and 
each party presented a long list of complaints. 
It is not necessary to go fully into particulars, 
though the documents might be interesting, espe- 
cially to the descendants of the Salzburgers. It 
must suffice to state, that Mr. Triebner accused 
Mr. Rabenhorst, among other things, 1. That 
Mr. Rabenhorst had appropriated to his private 
use certain lands and other property belonging 
to the church ; 2. That by his mismanagement 
the mill establishments had greatly depreciated 
in value, and were nearly ruined; 3. That he 
had wilfully departed from the church regula- 
tions established by the fathers in Europe ; 4. 



AND TIlEIll DESCENDANTS. 153 



That Mr. Rabenliorst's obligation for six hun- 
dred and forty-nine pounds was five years "with- 
out date, and that the interest was computed 
sometimes at thirty pounds and again at forty 
pounds, whereas the Rev. Urlsperger fixed it at 
fifty-two pounds; 5. That Mr. Rabenhorst had 
assumed to himself the position and prerogatives 
of first pastor, and had attempted to exercise 
undue supremacy ; 6. That Mr. Rabenhorst and 
his party, partly through craft and partly 
through violence, had obtained a majority of 
votes, and caused the church to be locked 
against Mr. Triebner and his party, &c. &c. 

On the other hand, Mr. Rabenhorst com- 
plained, 1. That, shortly after the arrival of Mr. 
Triebner, he attempted to create distrust and 
dissatisfaction among the members, by accusing 
Mr. Rabenhorst of bad management of the 
schools, and of making unauthorized changes 
and innovations in other regulations; 2. That 
he had slandered the arrangement of the mill 
establishment, as though Mr. Rabenhorst in- 
tended it for his own use; 3. He denied that 
Mr. Rabenhorst had any legal call at Ebenezer ; 
4. He had refused to administer the Lord's Sup- 
per to Mr. Rabenhorst; 5. Besides the charge 
of dishonesty, he represented Mr. Rabenhorst 
as a false teacher, a pretender, and destroyer of 
the church; 6. He abolished the fellowship of 
colleagues to confer and pray with one another, 



154 THE SALZBURGERS 



lest his affected superiority might not be sus- 
tained ; 7. When Mr. Rabenhorst went to Eben- 
ezer to preach, Mr. Triebner invented all kinds of 
mischief and ill-will, ran out of church, laughed 
at the preaching, and occasionally criticised the 
sermon, &c. &c. 

Besides these complaints drawn up by Mr. 
Rabenhorst, the deacons likewise presented 
charges against Mr. Triebner in writing, which 
were laid before Dr. Muhlenburg in due form. 
The principal were, 1. Ingratitude toward Mr. 
Rabenhorst, who had received him as a brother, 
and treated him with every mark of kindness ; 
2. Avarice or covetousness, in trying to get con- 
trol of the church funds; 3. Anger and re- 
venge ; 4. Pride and arrogance ; 5. Hatred, envy, 
and malevolence. There are specifications un- 
der each of these heads, but it is not necessary 
to state tbem. These charges were signed by 
the deacons, with this pointed remark : 

" This is a faint outline of the image of our Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran minister, Christopher Frederick Triebner. 
May God have mercy on him and each one of us ! 

John Adam Treutlen, 
Ulrich Neidlinger, 
Christian Steiner, 
Joseph Schubtrein, 
Samuel Krauss, 
Jacob C. Waldhauer. 

It may be proper here to state, that one 
cause of the difficulty between these two minis- 



A XI) Til KIR DESCEND AXIS. 



ters originated in an election which was held for 
church officers. Mr. Rabenhorst's party was 
successful, but their right to enter upon the 
discharge of their duties A7as strongly contested, 
and when they took possession of the church, 
they had to hold it by force and defend them- 
selves with swords, &c. The deacons claiming 
office under Mr. Triebner, as representatives of 
his party, were, Messrs. John Caspar Wertsch, 
John Floerl, Christopher Kramer, Matthew Bid- 
denbach, John Paulus, and Paul Muller. 

Dr. Muhlenburg, having examined all the 
documents, and having in vain attempted to 
effect a private reconciliation between the 
parties, consented to hold a public conference 
with the pastors and their respective boards of 
deacons, and investigate fully all the matters in 
dispute. The 23d day of November was ap- 
pointed for this purpose. Dr. Muhlenburg 
makes this minute in his journal under this 
date: "To-day, I expected severe and heart- 
rending labour, and found myself troubled and 
entirely unfitted for the work. The old and 
new vestry, witnesses of both contending parties, 
together with both the ministers, are to meet to 
attempt a reunion. I prayed to God secretly, 
but could obtain no confidence, and felt like a 
poor sinner who is being led forth to execution." 
* * -i= a J bad previously advised my brother 
Triebner how, with a few words, he might end 



1/jG the salzburgers 



the complicated and perplexing strife, viz. if lie 
would say before the meeting, «I have erred, 
and ask your cordial forgiveness, and wherein 
you have wronged me, that I will forgive with 
all my heart and forget.' For, under all the 
circumstances, I could impartially learn that in 
many things he had acted unreasonably, not 
according to grace, but according to our de- 
praved nature." 

The journal of Dr. Muhlenburg contains a 
detailed account of the various propositions for 
a compromise, but it is not necessary to state 
the particulars. It is, perhaps, important to 
give Dr. Muhlenburg's view of the case, accord- 
ing to the impression made upon his mind. 
Speaking of Mr. Tribner, he says: '«He en- 
deavoured to defend himself against the charge 
of avarice, and his party testified very ear- 
nestly in his behalf. In regard to the remaining 
counts, various instances were adduced and testi- 
mony given. He endeavoured, however, partly 
to justify and partly to deny, and to turn it to 
the best advantage for himself, and began to 
weep, and said, to-day was the day of his visi- 
tation; he must suffer and leave it all to the 
righteous Judge. I aided as much as I could, 
with a good conscience, and said, that in strife 
and enmity, faults and errors of hastiness were 
converted into crimes, but where love reigned, 
they were covered up, or endured but for a little 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 157 



season. But as he thought he had not erred, 
on the contrary had acted according to grace, 
conscience, and the instructions of the reverend 
fathers, I therefore adduced certain points 
•wherein he had erred, and said : ' That even a 
subject of grace carried within him the root or 
seed of all the aforesaid vices, and if he watched 
not, could soon be overtaken by them, and that 
■we must avoid also the appearance of them.' 
He wept again, and said: Such vices as those 
mentioned were mortal sins, and if they could 
be proved against him, he would be unworthy 
of his office, much less could he continue a mi- 
nister if the newly-elected vestrymen remained ; 
he would rather remain by himself with his little 
flock. I told him, finally, that obedience and 
love bad induced me to take this fatiguing jour- 
ney to visit them, that, with the help of God, 
peace and unity might be restored. But if they 
were determined to continue in discord and be 
ruined, then my visit and experiment were 
ended ; and to-morrow, with a sad and heavy 
heart, I would depart and report the result. I 
had hoped, by remaining over winter, that all 
things might yet be restored to order, but if this 
was the way, it was useless for me to stay. Mr. 
Wertsch and others said I should not adjourn 
yet, but try another proposition. I replied, that 
the following was my advice : 1. That they 
should bury all their former contentions and 

14 



158 THE SALZBURGKRS 



oiFences, and cordially forgive each other, as 
there were faults on all sides ; 2. To open the 
Jerusalem church for Pastor Triebner, so that 
both ministers might, unitedly, perform their mi- 
nisterial duties in the congregation ; 3. I would 
endeavour, with the aid of the ministers, &c., to 
prepare a plan for the better conduct of the whole 
matter. Pastor Rabenhorst came to the rescue, 
and supported the proposition with a warm ex- 
hortation. I gave my hand to each one present, 
and said if in aught I had offended or wounded 
them, they should forgive me. Pastor Raben- 
horst did likewise, and Pastor Treibner followed 
and said he would forgive his enemies, and would 
implore God to forgive them also ; and thus we 
separated. Pastor Rabenhorst and I ate at Mr. 
Triebner's, and at evening returned home. I 
was so tortured and worried in body and spirit, 
that I had to lie down. Lord ! how much 
has not the enemy of man already won, if he 
can effect a breach between ministers and col- 
leagues in a church ! What hateful mischief he 
does to the sheep, when he has disarmed the 
shepherds 1 How despised is the holy office and 
its dignity in the sight of Chamites and Canaan- 
ites, when they have seen the nakedness of the 
fathers, and scoff at it!" 

It is gratifying to state that the judicious 
efforts of Dr. Muhlenburg to effect a reconcilia- 
tion between these disaffected parties were hap- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 159 



pily crowned with a good measure of success, as 
will be seen from the above extract. But feel- 
ings of alienation grew out of these contentions, 
which were never fully pacified, and the bitter 
fruits growing out of this unfortunate rupture 
were seen for many years after. For it has 
been the sad experience of all who have ever 
had the misfortune to be connected, even re- 
motely, with such schisms, that even though 
they may seem to be healed, the asperities of 
feeling which result from them are frequently 
only smouldered, and it requires a large measure 
of grace to entirely eradicate and destroy them. 
It is no wonder, therefore, that Dr. Muhlenburg, 
deeply sensible of the ruinous tendency of all 
such ruptures between Christians, should express 
himself so strongly in the latter part of the 
above extract from his journal. 

In a subsequent part of his journal Dr. Muh- 
lenburg states, that having examined all the 
church records, he was satisfied that " Mr. Ra- 
benhorst did not acquire the ministers' plantation 
through fraud and evil practices, as Mr. Triebner 
and evil-disposed persons had complained ; but 
that Mr. Bolzius rejoiced that it had been sold, 
and that Mr. Rabenhorst took it at £649 16s. 
5<i., with the consent of the reverend fathers in 
a regular manner, and gave his obligation for it ; 
and the fund was thereby secured.*' This state- 
ment fully vindicates Mr. Rabenhorst from the 



160 THE SALZBURGERS 



most serious charge which Mr. Triebner and his 
associates brought against him. Further on in 
his journal, Dr. Muhlenburg, speaking of Mr. 
Rabenhorst, bears this strong testimony in his 
favour : «' When I see with my own eyes, and 
hear with my own ears in intercourse, that the 
man possesses a heart of grace, excellent gifts 
to preach, and still more aptness to catechise; 
that he insists upon a new creature in Christ 
Jesus, upon radical repentance, living faith, and 
daily renewal; and that he adorns his sound doc- 
trine with an edifying, sober, and godly life, &c.; 
when I reflect on all this, I must wonder in my 
simplicity, what could have been the preponde- 
rating reasons which prevented our reverend 
fathers from appointing Rev. Rabenhorst first 
preacher after the death of Rev. Lembke ; and 
even induced them to place at his side, as second 
preacher, a young man who, although well-mean- 
ing and gifted, was nevertheless inexperienced, 
passionate, and a dangerous novice ; and more- 
over to continue Mr. Rabenhorst as third 
preacher ! Most heartily would I have regarded 
myself as fortunate, if the Lord had lent us in 
Pennsylvania a labourer like Mr. Rabenhorst, 
and I would rejoice even in my last days to be 
the adjunct of such a man. * * Although Mr. 
Rabenhorst had been most grossly wronged, and 
had been publicly assailed in honour, office, and 
reputation, yet he was the first, with tears, to 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 161 



extend his hand to his offender, to forgive 
every thing, and to ask forgiveness." Dr. Muh- 
lenburg closes his investigation of this whole 
matter with these remarks : "In my humble 
estimation, Mr. Rabenhorst is the only man pos- 
sossed of understanding and experience who, 
with Divine assistance, can save the Ebenezer 
congregations from destruction. If the reverend 
fathers will only appoint him first preacher, will 
hold Mr. Triebner tighter in hand, and honour 
Mr. Rabenhorst with a paternal and familiar 
correspondence, all may yet be well." 

Dr. Muhlenburg remained three months in 
Georgia, during which time he preached fre- 
quently in all the churches of the Salzburgers — 
Jerusalem, Bethany, Zion, and at Goshen ; and 
extended his visits also to Savannah. His 
journal contains a great many interesting de- 
tails, which are, however, not necessary for our 
purpose. This sojourn among the Salzburgers 
was of incalculable benefit to the whole settle- 
ment. Beside effecting an amicable adjustment 
of the unfortunate breach which had occurred 
between the pastors and their respective adhe- 
rents, his quick penetration led him to perceive, 
that in consequence of the manner in which the 
lands belonging to the churches at Ebenezer had 
been granted, the whole property was placed at 
the mercy of the Church of England, to be con- 
verted to the benefit of that church, whenever 
14* 



162 THE SALZBURGERS 



occasion might present. The words of the 
grant were, " In trust for a glebe for St. Mat- 
thew's Parish, for the use of the ministers of 
the Lutheran Church in Ebenezer." On this 
point Dr. Muhlenburg remarks : " The grant to 
Jerusalem church as the principal or mother 
church in the village of Ebenezer, is so strongly- 
arranged and secured that no help is left for it. 
Mr. John Wertsch managed the matter entirely 
alone, and suffered himself to be outwitted. 
He regrets it, but that does not alter the case." 
This was also true in relation to the church and 
school-house called Bethany. The object was 
defined to be, " In St. Matthew's Parish, for the 
use of a church and school-house, and for the 
support of the minister and master thereof." 
Of this Dr. Muhlenburg says : " This is unwit- 
tingly cut out for the Church of England, as 
there is only one church, strictly so speaking, 
established in the British dominions." 

Dr. Muhlenburg was seriously troubled (as 
well he might be) when he discovered the critical 
position in which these grants placed the church 
property at Ebenezer. He, therefore, visited 
Savannah, and had an interview with Mr. Ha- 
bersham, the President of the King's Council, 
and Anthony Stokes, Esq., Chief Justice for the 
province, in which he represented the gross in- 
justice and wrong which the Salzburgers were 
likely to suffer, unless these grants could be 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 163 



altered. He also drew up an able manifesto, in 
which he clearly set forth the just claims of the 
Salzburgers, and pointed out the distinctive Lu- 
theran character of the churches which had 
been established at Ebenezer and its vicinity. 
The efforts of Dr. Muhlenburg to secure the 
rights of the Salzburgers were successful. The 
grants were accordingly altered, and the pro- 
perty forever secured to the Lutheran Church. 
For this act alone, the Salzburgers and their 
descendants, and in fact the whole Lutheran 
Church, owe Dr. Muhlenburg a lasting debt of 
gratitude. 



164 THE SALZBURGEE3 



CHAPTER YIII. 

Dr. Muhlenburg still at Ebenezer—Church discipline— Views and 
practices of the founders of American Lutheran Church — Evils 
arising from want of discipline — False views on the subject — ■ 
The discipline adopted at Ebenezer in 1774, and duties of pas- 
tors, officers, and church members defined — List of church 
members who signed the discipline, as certified by Dr. Muhlen- 
burg — Settlements at Abercorn and Goshen — Mr. Knox buys 
the lands at Abercorn — Moravian missionaries brought over to 
preach to the Negroes — Labours of the Moravians at Goshen — 
Fears of Dr. Muhlenburg — Moravians not successful — Advice 
to them by one of the Salzburgers — Fears of Dr. Muhlenburg 
not realized — Moravians leave the settlement — Dr. Muhlen- 
burg's successful labours at Ebenezer— He leaves Georgia and 
returns to Philadelphia — Condition of the congregations at 
Ebenezer — Reflections. 

In another place reference has been made to 
the discipline which Dr. Muhlenburg drafted for 
the better government of the congregation in 
and around Ebenezer. It is, perhaps, appro- 
priate that some extracts from that document 
should be here inserted, as this subject is pro- 
perly connected -with his visit to Ebenezer. 
The extracts may be regarded by some readers 
as rather too long, but they are made so pur- 
posely, to show what where the opinions of the 
founders of American Lutheranism upon the sub- 
ject of church discipline. This is necessary for 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 165 



two reasons : 1. There are many professedly Lu- 
theran preachers in the United States who, under 
a mistaken view of Christian liberty^ have never 
attempted to throw any restraints around the de- 
portment of the people of their charge. Hence, 
many Lutheran church members are very lax in 
their notions of Christian propriety, and parti- 
cipate in all the fashionable follies of life, seem- 
ingly without any compunctions of conscience. 
By this course of conduct the Lutheran Church 
has been injured very seriously in the estimation 
of other enlightened Christian denominations, 
and in many sections of country has become 
almost a by-word. Our church is regarded as 
a body of unconverted professors, whose lives 
are a scandal to the Christian name ; and the 
impression has been made upon many minds, 
that we never have attempted to check the im- 
proprieties and immorality of which our mem- 
bers have sometimes been guilty, simply because 
we had no discipline which' could reach and cor- 
rect their misdemeanors. It is to be hoped 
that this stigma will now be removed, and that 
the Christian public will judge us more favour- 
ably in the future. 2. Some of our ministers, 
and many of our church members, have been 
disposed to look upon a judicious and rigid 
church discipline, as a "ne«» measure' — an inno- 
vation upon the uses of our fathers. In some 
portions of the Lutheran Church, attempts have 



166 THE SALZBURGERS 



been made by designing men, to pander to the 
prejudices and corruptions of the human heart, 
by asserting that our pious forefathers never 
had any discipline in their churches ; and that 
this movement to control the actions of freemen, 
by dictating to them what they should or should 
not do, would lead inevitably to the establish- 
ment of a censorship, which would ultimately 
destroy the rights of conscience, and bind the 
human mind in vassalage to the dictation of a 
haughty priesthood. Such were not the senti- 
ments nor the practices of those godly men who 
laid the foundation of the Lutheran Church in 
America. They regarded a scriptural disci- 
pline, wisely and impartially administered, not 
only as absolutely necessary, but as fully sanc- 
tioned by Divine authority. And as far as their 
example furnishes 2, precedent, it forever silences 
the senseless ranting of those who seek to brand 
such measures as innovations, and who, to ac- 
complish some ulterior design, would leave the 
church without a compass, to be driven about 
by the tempests of human passion. 

Our illustrious fathers had wisdom and grace 
to perceive that the moral power of the church 
does not consist in its numerical strength, but 
in the piety and purity of its members. 
Hence, they planted themselves upon the pre- 
cepts of Christ and the apostles ; and by enforc- 
ing proper regulations in all their congregations, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. IG' 



they sought to give character to the church, and 
to make the membership living witnesses to the 
elevating and controling influences of sound 
Christian principles. They had, too, the moral 
courage to do their duty faithfully in this par- 
ticular. They had no fears in relation to their 
popularity, and never compromised their views 
of duty, nor shrunk from any responsibilities 
growing out of the faithful discharge of the ob- 
ligations which they owed to Christ and the 
souls of their fellow-men. Would to God, their 
" mantle" had in all cases descended to their 
successors ! But the reader may desire to see 
the discipline which was adopted and enforced 
in the early days of Lutheranism in America. 
Here is a portion of it. It will be seen that in 
some things it goes very minutely into detail, 
but it is not the less interesting on that account. 

THE ELECTION OF DEACONS, &c. 

" The election of deacons shall take place annually on 
Easter-Monday, as usual, in the most capacious church, 
where the whole congregation, consisting of all the regu- 
lar and contributing male members of the Evangelical 
Lutheran Congregation in and about Ebenezer, which 
holds to the Augsburg Confession and Liturgy, and also 
to the old Discipline and Rule as described in Chapter I., 
is assembled. On the ensuing Sabbath, the church-dea 
cons, elected by a plurality of the votes of the congrega- 
tion, shall be presented publicly, at the service in the 
church in which they were elected, by one or other of the 
ministers, when they shall be reminded of the duties of 
their office, be received by taking of the hand, and their 



1G8 THE SALZBURGERS 



names recorded in the church-register. Previously, how- 
ever, the deacons whose oflBce has expired shall be dis- 
missed with thanks and wishes of blessing. 

" The meeting of the church-council shall be subject 
to the following rules, viz.: When necessary matters and 
business demand a meeting, the church-council shall be 
previously and publicly invited from the pulpit, and the 
time and place of meeting specified by the oldest minis- 
ter, so that each member can make his appearance, and 
not absent himself without cogent reasons. If, however, 
the business will not admit of so long delay, the mem- 
bers shall be convoked by expresses. The oldest minister, 
who has for the longest period of time been in office in 
this congregation, and to whom its circumstances are 
best known, shall preside at every meeting of the council. 
Should he, however, be sick, or absent on necessary offi- 
cial engagements, he shall authorize his colleague to 
supply his place in the council. The elder minister, as 
president of the assembled council, shall have liberty to 
invite his junior colleague to all important meetings of 
the church-council, and permit him to keep on record the 
minutes or protocol, so that he may gain experience for 
the future. 

•' When the whole, or at least two-thirds, of the respecfc- 
ive members of the church-council are present, the pre- 
sident shall open with a short ejaculatory prayer, and 
each member shall modestly take his seat ; and the order 
of business shall follow thus: 1. The president shall 
make known the business concerning which it is neces- 
sary to consult and deliberate. 2. The president shall 
present one point after another, and allow each member 
to give his opinion and exposition of it. Whoever wishes 
to speak and offer his advice, shall rise and modestly give 
his opinion. No one shall interrupt another while speak- 
ing, and still less shall two persons speak at the same 
time. All undue, insulting, sarcastic, and abusive lan- 
guage and expressions must, in general, and especially 
in such assemblies, where matters affecting the honour 
of God, and the welfare of the congregation are con- 



a:sD their deschndaxts. 1G9 



gldered, be avoided. 3. It is also very unbecoming in 
such meetings of council, for one individual to be sole 
spokesman, and arbitrarily "wish to have every thing done 
according to the views which he conceives to be correct. 
4. After each one has given his opinion and advice in re- 
gard to one point, the vote shall be taken upon it ; the re- 
solution made either unanimously or by plurality of vote, 
and be written down by the minister who records the 
minutes, and then read to the assembly, to ascertain 
whether it has been correctly recorded. 5. A resolution, 
however, in regard to weighty and important matters, 
cannot and shall not be considered valid, which is not 
unanimously passed, or, at least, by concurrence of the 
president and two-thirds of the regular members of the 
congregation. Matters of this kind are such, for exam- 
ple, as the building of churches and school-houses, the 
election or discharge of school teachers, the leasing or 
vending of mills or any other establishment. Should 
the church-council have come to a determination, and 
passed a resolution in reference to one or other such im- 
portant matters, such resolution shall first be laid pub- 
licly before the congregation, and a week's time shall 
be given the congregation to reflect on it. Should it 
turn out, during this week, that either all or two-thirds of 
the regular members of the congregation are opposed and 
dissatisfied, for weighty grounds, the matter shall not be 
put in force, but shall again receive the deliberation and 
consideration of church-council. G. After the session of 
the church-council is concluded, the president shall close 
with prayer, and see that the most necessary things in the 
minutes which were resolved for the welfare of the congre- 
gation, be properly transferred to the church-register. 

''Should one or other member of the ruling church- 
council, viz. the ministers, deacons, trustees, deputy 
overseers or managers, deviate from our Evangelical Pro- 
testant religion, order, and worship, which are accordant 
with the Augsburg Confession, and go over to another re- 
ligious denomination, or perhaps oven give ofience to our 
congregation by gross wickedness, (which, however, may 
1') 



ITU THE SALZBURGEP.S 



God in his mercy forbid !) and if such be plainly or suf- 
ficiently, convincinpjly, and indisputably proved by two 
or three reliable -witnesses ; and if the various degrees 
of admonition will not make an impression, or produce 
any reformation, he or they shall be expelled from the 
church-council, and shall have no part in any thing be- 
longing to our congregation in and about Ebenezer, until 
a true return take place, and a reconciliation be effected 
with the congregation. 

" As the laudable society in London for the Promotion 
of the KnoAvledge of Christ, out of affection toward the 
oppressed Protestants from Salzburg and Germany, has 
kindly undertaken, since the year 1733, to provide and 
compensate ministers and school-teachers who adhere to 
the Augsburg Confession, for the congregation which at 
this time was yet to be planted ; and has also by certain 
agreements with a number of prominent ministers of the 
ICvangelical Lutheran mother church, in Germany and 
England, viz. with Mr. Samuel Urlsperger, in Augsburg, 
Gothelf Augustus Francke, D.D., in Halle, and Mr. Frede- 
rick Michel Ziegenhagen, yet living, as very worthy 
members of the above-mentioned society, and their suc- 
cessors confirmed and established this privilege, and has 
actually until this time, for the space of forty-one years, 
afforded the same thing; therefore, the right to call a 
minister to Ebenezer congregation rests, upon the agree- 
ment of the laudable society, with the above-mentioned 
reverend fathers and those whom they are to choose as 
their successors in Europe, and shall continue so long as 
the aforesaid are not annulled, or until the Ebenezer con- 
gregation has become unworthy of such a favour. 

" Should one or other Ebenezer preacher or teacher, 
secretly or openly, introduce and disseminate erroneous 
and soul-destructive doctrines, conflicting with the basis 
of the apostles and prophets in the word of God, con- 
tained in the Old and New Testaments, and opposed to 
our Augsburg Confession, (and other Symbolical Books); 
or give offences which may be really substantiated, and 
which have become public ; or transgress by causing 



AND THEIR DESCE^'DA^"i^S. 171 



schisms and factions, — he shall first be examined by the 
other minister and pastor, together AA'itli two or three of 
the church-council who are experienced in the word and 
ways of God ; and if found guilty, required to confess, 
deplore, and abhor such ofi'ences, and particularly to re- 
call and expose the erroneous doctrines by manifesting 
sincere repentance. Should, however, said minister, after 
due representations have been made, not be disposed to 
fulfil the above conditions ; and stubbornly and wickedly 
continue in such error, then the other minister and the 
whole church-council, with the assistance of intelligent 
and experienced church-members, shall once more inves- 
tigate said ofi'ences and errors, direct the church-council 
to report the same to the reverend fathers, and await 
from them a full decision. In the mean time they shall 
suspend such minister from his ofiice and service until 
the offences be removed : because in such cases delay is 
dangerous. 

"It shall be the duty of the pastor of our congrega- 
tion to teach and administer in our congregation, purely 
and without adulteration, publicly and explicitly, the 
doctrine of faith and the practical duties following there- 
from ; of our Evangelical Lutheran religion, and the two 
sacraments, according to the basis of the apostles and 
prophets contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and 
New Testaments, in which Jesus Christ is the corner- 
stone, (accordant with our Augsburg Confession and other 
Symbolical Books.) 

'*' The qualifications and gifts requisite and necessary 
for our ministers and pastors, for the performance of the 
duties of their office, are amply described in the word of 
God, in the New Testament, the infallible rule, guide, 
and fountain of their faith, life, and conduct, according 
to their station, office and service. Matt, xxviii. 18-20 ; 
Mark xvi. 15, 16 ; Eph. iv. 11, 12 ; 1 Tim. iii. 2-13 ; 
Titus i. 5-11; 1 Pet. v. 2-4; James iii. 1; 1 Tim. iv. 
10-13 ; 2 Cor. v. 17-20 ; vi. 1-10 ; Acts xx. 28 ; 2 Tim. 
iv. 2-5; 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 7; Rom. xii. 7, 8; John xiii. 
34, 35 ; Matt. vii. 22, 23 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 1-10. 



172 THE SALZBUIIGERS 



*' They can also learn their duty from the documents 
containing their call and instructions, received from their 
reverend superiors. 

" According to the ordinance introduced at the begin- 
ning, our Ebenczer congregation has had two churches, 
viz. the »Terusalem and Zion's churches, and has also one 
church in Bethany ; and so long as there was, are, and 
will be two ministers, the whole congregation is and 
shall be Jointly and associately supplied with the means 
of grace after the following manner: 1. The older minis- 
ter shall conduct the worship at Zion's church every 
second Sabbath, until otherwise directed by the reverend 
directors ; he shall also, if health and strength permit, 
deliver one catechetical sermon every week in the same 
place. Farther, he shall also, in accordance with the 
precedence and Christian example of the first ministers 
and his iirst appointments, have divine service, on differ- 
ent Sabbaths and week-days, in the German Evangelical 
Lutheran congregation at Goshen and in the town of 
Savannah. The other Sabbaths and fast-days he shall 
appropriate to holding service in the Jerusalem church. 
The second preacher, who at the present time lives in the 
little town of Ebenezer, near Jerusalem church, shall 
conduct worship in the Jerusalem church, until other- 
wise ordered by the reverend directors, on Sabbath and 
fast-days, so that the Ebenezer congregation shall lose 
nothing on those Sabbaths and fiist-days on which the 
older minister has divine service at Goshen and Savan- 
nah. Furthermore, the second preacher shall also de- 
liver a catechetical sermon weekly in the Jerusalem 
church; and as the members residing in Bethany are 
nearest to Jerusalem church, and belong to it, and as 
they have, with the approval of the first blessed ministers, 
built a church in Bethany, considering that the old, in- 
firm, and sickly members and children can scarcely 
attend the Jerusalem church, and yet have need of 
spiritual nourishment, it was, therefore, resolved by the 
church-council, 'that the people in Bethany shall regu- 
larly have divine service, if possible, every fourth Sab- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 1' 



bath by the preacher who lives nearest to them. Vid. 
minutes of January 12, 1774/ Yet this resohition shall 
not be enforced, except with the condition, that the 
minister receives the necessary travelling expenses, and 
entertainment for himself and horse ; because, according 
to the teachings of Christ, the labourer is worthy of his 
meat and wages. 

" According to the good regulation already introduced, 
the Lord's Supper shall be administered, if possible, every 
six weeks in our Ebenezer congregation after this man- 
ner, viz.: 1. It shall be published two weeks previously, 
after the morning service, in both churches or in one, 
when the whole congregation is assembled in it; and the 
names of such as signify their intention to commune 
shall be recorded by the respective minister or ministers. 
Should any of the members not be present when the an- 
nouncement is made, and yet be desirous of participating, 
they shall be allowed to make known their intention at 
the service of the preceding week, or privately to one or 
other of the pastors. Both ministers shall mutually com- 
municate to each other the names each one may have re- 
corded, and confer betimes over them in a paternal and 
brotherly way, to ascertain whether there might be one 
or more among the number against whom complaint may 
exist, known either to the pastor himself by personal ob- 
servation, or which information has been given by credit- 
able testimonies. In such cases they must use particular 
wisdom and foresight, according to the rule of their 
Saviour and Master, in Matt. x. 16, so that they may 
deal impartially, without carnal aifections and passions ; 
that they may not judge according to hearsay; but con- 
front accusers, accused, and witnesses, and, as the issue 
may be, either acquit the innocent or proceed with the 
guilty, according to the degrees of exhortation. Should, 
however, in this affair, important matters be affected, 
then the pastors shall have liberty to admit to their aid 
several intelligent and God-fearing members of the church- 
council. Neither of the two pastors shall, however, be 
permitted to exclude, upon his own responsibility, anv 
16- 



174 THE SALZBUKGERS 



one from participating in the Lord's Supper ; but it shall 
be done with the knowledge of both, provided there be 
reasons and grounds sufficient which demand such pro- 
cedure. And if it happen that any one has given of- 
fence to the congregation by gross and open sins and 
vices, and such persons or person hag or have been 
brought to sincere repentance and sorrow on account of 
his or their sins, by the admonition and instruction of 
the pastors, through the word and Spirit of God ; and if 
they evince an earnest desire, nest to God, to be again 
reconciled with the congregation, then the church disci- 
pline shall be enforced as has been usual at other occa- 
sions, on the Sabbatii on which the Lord's Supper is ad- 
ministered, as follows: The penitent or penitents shall 
be called out by name before the public assembly of the 
congregation, and commended to their compassionate in- 
tercession, and be again restored with appropriate admo- 
nition. In regard, however, to errors and liiults com- 
mitted through thoughtlessness, which occurred secretly 
and not publicly, and through which the congregation re- 
ceived no offence, the person guilty shall on no account 
be reprehended publicly from the pulpit, personally or 
by name, but shall be set aside privately by the pastor, 
and be directed to reform. Because, should any other 
method be pursued, imbittered feelings might be aroused, 
offence given, and injury done. The minister shall never- 
theless retain perfect right and liberty to denounce each 
and every sin and deviation from the holy law of God, as 
is directed by the teachings of Jesus Christ and his holy 
apostles. The confession shall be held in both churches 
on Saturday morning, by both ministers. In case, how 
ever, one of the ministers should be sick, and the other 
thus be alone, it shall be held in the largest church, 
where all who have given in their names can be con- 
vened. The Lord's Supper shall, as usual, be adminis- 
tered in the most capacious church and by both ministers, 
viz.: the elements shall be consecrated and the bread dis- 
tributed by the elder minister, and the consecrated cup 
shall be given by the junior minister. The colicotinn, as 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 175 



directed, shall be taken up while the congregation is dis 
persing. 

" The following rules shall be adopted in regard to thv 
instruction and confirmation of young persons : 1. Pa- 
rents, guardians, and masters shall be allowed to make 
mention of the young persons intrusted to their care, 
and send them to either of the two pastors nearest to 
whom they may live, or whom they may prefer ; 2. Both 
parties shall employ the utmost fidelity, according to the 
grace which has been bestowed upon and received by 
them, to ground, through the love of Christ, the young 
souls intrusted to them, thoroughly, by the assistance 
and power of the Holy Spirit, in our evangelical doc- 
trines of faith and duties of life, or in the order of salva- 
tion, or in the counsel of God conducing to blessedness, 
upon Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation ; 3. After 
this has been performed, and the time has arrived when 
they shall be publicly examined and tested, when they 
shall renew their baptismal vow and be confirmed, then 
each pastor may publish the time and day, and examine 
the little flock which he has instructed in one or other 
of the two churches, receive the vows of the faithful, and 
kindly invite his colleague and co-pastor to attend ; be- 
cause, by such a solemn act, faithful ministers and shep- 
herds may be animated, encouraged, and excited to in- 
tercessions, if they have at all the spirit and disposition 
of Christ, the Lord of his own ; 4. The persons newly 
confiruied by each minister shall be registered in a 
suitable church record, and preserved as a testimony to 
posterity. 

" The order established by the first minister, with the 
approbation of the reverend directors, in regard to the 
public worship on Sabbath and fast-days in our Ebenezer 
congregation, shall remain undisturbed, and shall be ob- 
served in our church as follows: 1. At the usual time in 
the morning, the minister shall commence with the prayer 
from the London Liturgy; 2. The school-teacher shall 
read a chapter from the Holy Bible, following the prayer 
in order; o. The minister shall announce a spiritual 



176 THE SALZBniGERS 



hymn from the Holy Ilymn Book, according to its num- 
ber, and also whether the whole, or (if only a part) how 
many verses shall be sung ; 4. The minister shall read 
the Epistle or Gospel appointed for the day ; 5. The hymn 
shall be again sung, it being previously announced as be- 
fore ; 6. The minister shall offer up an extemporaneous 
prayer, and end with the Lord's prayer ; 7. He shall read 
the Epistle or Gospel, or text which forms the basis of his 
remarks ; 8. He shall preach his sermon, and close it with 
prayer ; 9. The general prayer from the London Liturgj"- 
shall follow, and be finished with the Lord's prayer ; 10. 
All the necessary announcements shall be made, and con- 
cluded by an apostolic wish; 11. There shall be singing; 
12. The congregation shall be dismissed with the Lord's 
benediction. The afternoon service shall be commenced, 
1. By reading a chapter from the Holy Scriptures ; 2. 
Singing ; 3. The young persons and children shall re- 
hearse what they have learned — passages from the little 
book of the blessed Tolner, the catechism of Luther, the 
order of salvation, or hymns ; 4. Singing ; 5. The minis- 
ter shall offer up a prayer, and catechise the children, 
either on what the)'' have rehearsed, or on the Epistle or 
Gospel read that day ; G. He shall close with prayer, and 
**Our Father,'' &c.; 7. Singing, and dismission of the 
congregation with the blessing of the Lord. 

'' Those who at any time shall be the ministers of our 
Ebenezer congregation, shall, according as God has given 
them grace, gifts, and experience, for Avhich they shall 
daily implore the Lord and Master, be strenuously en- 
gaged for the general and particular salvation and educa- 
tion of the lambs and sheep intrusted to them, and pur- 
chased by the blood of Jesus Christ himself. They shall 
visit industriously the schools, as also the sick mem- 
bers, when and as often as they desire it, and supply 
them with the means of grace, so far as time, health, and 
strength will admit. In case one or other of the minis- 
ters is afflicted with sickness and confined, it shall be the 
duty of the other, who is well, as much as by the aid of 
Gud he may be able, amid the other neccsffary engage- 



AND TIIEir. DESCEXDANTS. 



nients of his office, to conduct the worship on the Lord's 
day in one or other, or both churches alternately, and 
serve and visit the filial or young congregation sprung 
from the parent congregation, on one or other day 
of the Aveek, until the sick minister be restored. Fur- 
ther, the ministers and pastors shall also, according to 
the example of the first minister of the congregation, 
so pleasing to God himself, confer diligently, either orally 
or by writing, concerning official or casuistic cases 
which may be brought before them : the one serving the 
other vrith the gifts which he has received, and thereby 
manifest to the flock that, from thorough self-knowledge 
and just application of unction from on high, each re- 
gards the other as superior to himself; that they serve 
one Lord of all, and one congregation, and take heed 
unto themselves and the doctrine ; that they preserve in 
a pure conscience the precious charge intrusted to them; 
and fight the good fight, so as to save both themselves 
and their hearers. 1 Tim. iv. 16. In this way, and not 
otherwise, can the will of God be accomplished, the wish 
of our fathers be fulfilled according to Psalm csxxiii., 
their own hearts be rejoiced, the burden of their duties 
toward the congregation alleviated, and their conversation 
and exemplary walk become a Avholesome terror to the 
obstinate, and serve as a blessing and comfort and means 
of growth in grace to the obedient sheep and lambs. 

OF CHURCH MEMBERS. 

" Whoever wishes to become and remain a member of 
our Evangelical Lutheran Church, holding to the Augs- 
burg Confession and Liturgy, in and about Ebenezer, 
and have part in the spiritual and temporal benefits, pri- 
vileges, and rights, must, in the first place, have been or 
be received within the covenant of grace by holy bap- 
tism, with the Divine Majesty of God the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit ; 2. He must be or have been instructed 
for the participation in the Lord's Supper ; he must be 
confirmed and received as a communing member ; 3. He 



178 THE SALZBURGERS 



must, as much as possible, regularly attend to the hear- 
ing of the word of God, and participate in the Lord's 
Supper ; 4. He must voluntarily contribute, according to 
his abilit3% of his gifts and merits toward the continua- 
tion and support of the evangelical worship of God, when- 
ever and wherever the deacons may demand it; 5. He 
must not live in, or be found guilty of, prevailing sins 
and vices, contrary to the divine moral code or the ten 
commandments of God, nor indulge in the open works 
of tl\e flesh enumerated in Gal. v. 19-21; 1 Cor. v. 1-12; 
vi. 9, 10 ; but he must conduct himself as a Christian, 
according to his calling and the doctrine of Jesus Christ ; 
6. In case, however, one or other member should be over- 
taken in faults, through the subtle artifice of Satan, of 
the flesh, and of the deceitfulness of the world, or, per- 
haps, even fall into great sins, and such failings or sins 
come to the knowledge of the ministers and pastors, then 
they shall first call these fallen souls to account, alone, with 
compassionate love and seriousness regarding them as 
wandering, lost, and wounded sheep, and admonish them 
to repent, point the sin and uncleanness again to the 
free and open fountain, and give them advice and direc- 
tion how they, as lost sons and daughters, may again 
reach their home. Should this course prove fruitless,^ 
the pastors shall make still further attempts to retrieve 
them; and admit to their assistance two or three mem- 
bers of the church-council, Avho are experienced in the 
word and ways of God, and repeat the afl'ectionate admo- 
nitions. And if this also prove abortive, then such per- 
sons, continuing in their sins, shall be cited to appear be- 
fore the church-council and pastors, and the last admoni- 
tion shall be applied. If, however, they refuse to appear 
and obey, their name shall then be recorded in the 
minutes of the congregation, and then have neither part, 
nor right, nor sufi'rage in the congregation, and its privi- 
leges and benefits, until, peradventure, by God's grace, 
long-sufi'ering and mercy, for the intercession of Jesus 
Christ the Mediator, through the disciplining and gra- 
cious workings of the Spirit of God, true conversion 



AND Tin-IR DESCENDANTS. 179 



takes place, and they give evidence of such by proofs, 
and withal, desire to be again received into the congre- 
gation : then they may be received, provided they ac- 
knowledge and confess, in open assembly of the congre- 
gation, the offences alleged, and ask forgiveness and re- 
conciliation through the pastors. 

" To all the above Fundamental Articles, Constitutions, 
and Rules, upon which and according to which a German 
Evangelical Lutheran congregation, composed of Salzburg 
emigrants and Protestants accompanying them, was 
founded, established, governed, and maintained (and 
shall in the future, through all time, be maintained and 
governed) in and about Ebenezer, in the Province of 
Georgia, (by virtue of the freedom of conscience granted 
by God and the constitution of Great Britain,) professing 
and adhering to the word of God and the Augsburg Con- 
fession, the ministers, pastors, and school-teachers who 
may at any time be in office, all the trustees, elders, dea- 
cons, each regular contributing, communing church mem- 
ber, mutually and deliberately bind themselves, with 
heart and hand and signature of their names ; and that, 
too, with the express condition, that he or they who acts 
contrary to the above constitution, seeking in any way 
to annul or pervert it, shall have neither part or right, 
nor vote, nor pretension to the spiritual and temporal 
goods and benefits of the Ebenezer congregation. 

Ebenezer, Georgia, December 14, 1774." 

" That the above is a true transcript of the original 
Fundamental Articles, Constitution, and Rules, which were 
unanimously ratified by the church-council in public 
assembly at Ebenezer, with the signatures of their names, 
and also on the 2Gth of January, 1775, by the congrega- 
tion in Jerusalem church at Ebenezer, plainly and dis- 
tinctly heard and approved and confirmed by the signa- 
ture of their names, is hereby testified and affirmed by 
Henry Melchior Muhlenburg, at the time Reverend of 
Evangelical Ministerium, Philadelphia, Minister Senior, 
and authorized agent of the Reverend Directors of tho 
Ebenezer congresration, &c. &c.'^ 



180 



THE BALZBTTRGERr- 



The undersigned, respective members of the 
church-council, are the Reverend Ministers, the 
Trustees and Deacons, and appear in the origi- 
nal, subscribed as follows : — 



Christian Rabenliorst, i 

Christopher Prederick Triebner, J 



DEACONS. 



John Casper Wertsch, 
John Floerl, 
Joseph Schubtrein, 
David Steiner, 
Conrad Rahn, 
Christopher Kraemer. 



John Michael, 
John Paulus, 
John Remshart, 
Matt. Bedenbach, 
Balthasar Rieser, 
Caspar Heil, 
John Hangleiter, 
Charles McCay, 
Lucas Zeigler, 
George Gruber, 
Christopher Oechsle, 
Hans Jiirk Winckler, 
John Martin Dasher, 
George Schwiuger, 
Israel Leimberger, 
John George Bentz, 
Nicholas Michael, 
Jacob Housler, 
Solomon Schrempf, 
Christian Dasher, 
Ernest Zittrauer, 
Johannes Mauror, 



John Adam Treutlen, 
Ulrich Neidlinger, 
Jacob C. Waldhauer, 
John Ivugel, 
Christian Steiner, 
Samuel Krauss. 



Veit Lochner, 

John Martin Paulitsoh, 

John Paul Moeller, 

Jacob Metzger, 

Jacob Mack, 

Philip Paulitsch, 

Michael Mack, 

Christopher Rottenbepgcr, 

Michael Reiser, 

John Schuele, 

John Adam Freyermuth, 

Jacob Tarringer, 

Jacob Meyer, 

John G. F. Zittrauer, 

John G. H. Schneider, 

John Justus Gravenstein, 

John Rentz, 

John Heinley, 

John C. Oechsle, 

Nicholas Schubtrein, 

Nicholas Helme, 

George Gnann, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



181 



Jacob Buehler, 

John Bollinger, 

Ruprecht Zimmerebner, 

Henry Ludwig Bentz, 

John Steiner, 

Daniel Burgsteiner, 

John Christian Krinberger, 

Daniel Weitmann, 

Martin Dasher, 

Mattheus Rahn, 

John Gottleib Ott, 

Israel Lackner, 

Mathias Meyer, 

John Kogler, 

G. Israel Schmidt, 

Nathaniel Ott, 

Conrad Frank, 

John Michael Oechsle, 

John Metzger, 

John Bolleinger, 

Solomon Zandt, 

John Adam Paulus, 

Andreas Gnann, 

John Rottenberger, 

Michael Heisman, 

Frederick Lackner, 

Samuel Metzger, 

Andrew Seckinger, 

Benjamin Rieser, 

John Sherraus, 

Frederick Schrempf, 

Jacob Mohr, 

John Christian Buntz, 

John George Maurer, 

Israel Rieser, 



John George Beckley, 
John Scheraus, 
Jacob Heinley, 
Jacob Gnann, 
Peter Freyermuth, 
John Gottleib Neidlinger, 
John Christian Gugel, 
Abraham De Roshe, 
Samuel Deppe, 
Benjamin B. Glaner, 
Jonathan Seckinger, 
John Glaner, 
John Gottleib Schneider, 
Michael Halerer, 
Frederick Helfenstein, 
Jacob Metzger, 
Mathees M. Schule, 
Jacob Kiefer, 
John Heckel, 
George Zeigler, 
Paul Fanck, 
Sigismund Ott, 
John Pfiuger, 
Andreas Seckinger, 
Timotheus Lembke, 
George Bechly, 
John Rentz, 
John Gottlieb Fetzer, 
Joseph Schubtrein, Jr., 
Jacob Schmidt, 
Emanuel Kiefer, 
Israel Kiefer, 
George Ditters, 
Andreas Biddenbach. 



This list of names shows that on the 16th of 
January, 1775, there were one hundred and 



10 



182 THE SALZBTIIIGEKS 



twenty-four male members present at Jerusalem 
church, when the discipline was solemnly ratified 
and subscribed. There is no doubt that many of 
the members were absent ; but still it furnishes 
sufficient evidence of the numerical strength of 
the congregation at that time. The list of names 
is inserted entire, as a matter of reference for 
the benefit of the descendants of the Salzburgers 
who still survive, many of whom will probably 
be gratified to have this opportunity to trace out 
their genealogy. Besides, it may be necessary 
to use it in noticing the dispersion of the Salz- 
burgers into other portions of Georgia, and the 
changes which many of them have made in their 
church relations. For it will appear hereafter, 
that very many of the descendants of these 
men forsook the church of their fathers, and 
united with other communions. All that some 
of them carried with them was the name of 
their venerable ancestors : for the Lutheran 
Church they seem to have lost all affection and 
reverence. But we will dwell more fully upon 
this topic in its proper place. 

There is one other historical fact brought to 
light in Dr. Muhlenburg's journal, which must 
not be omitted, and it will not be inappropriate 
to record it here. Reference has been made to 
the settlement at Abercorn, and the establish- 
ment of a Lutheran Church at Goshen. Dr. 
Muhlenburg states, under date, January 7, 1775 : 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 183 



<« The so-called Abercorn was originally settled 
by Germans of our confession ; gradually, how- 
ever, it fell into the hands of two English gen- 
tlemen, who are now the proprietors, and culti- 
vate the land with Negro slaves. The adjoining 
land, called Goshen on account of its fertility, 
was settled originally by our brethren in the 
faith ; and our beloved ministers, Bolzius and 
Lembke, each patented five hundred acres of 
land, which were suitable for the cultivation of 
grain and rice. The faithful but poor brethren 
could not cultivate nor continue to hold them, 
and were compelled to sell them to an English- 
man in Savannah, who was likewise forced to 
re-sell them to Mr. Knox, who keeps a large 
number of negroes and overseers upon them. 
There are about fifteen families of our German 
brethren in the faith still living at Goshen, hav- 
ing a small church and school-house, who were 
served with the means of grace by the late 
ministers, and up to this time by Pastor Ra- 
benhorst," 

Dr. Muhlenburg further remarks, that while 
he was at Ebenezer two Moravian ministers ar- 
rived at Savannah, who had been brought over 
by Mr. Knox as missionaries, to labour among 
the slaves on his plantation. As a compensation 
for their services, Mr. Knox stipulated to give 
them one hundred and fifty acres of land, and 
to allow them the use of ten or twelve slaves to 



184 THE SALZBURQEKS 



cultivate it. These Moravian brethren applied 
for the use of the Lutheran Church at Goshen 
to preach in. Dr. Muhlenburg seems to have 
had some fears in reference to their influence 
upon the Lutheran families about Goshen, espe- 
cially in view of the distracted state of the 
Ebenezer congregations, growing out of the dif- 
ficulty between Messrs. Rabenhorst and Triebner. 
Speaking of the presence of these missionaries 
at Goshen, he says: <'I doubt not, according to 
their known method of insinuation, they will 
gain the most, if not all, the remaining families 
in Goshen, and w411 also make an attempt on 
Ebenezer, for their ways are well adapted to 
awakened souls. I have learned by experience 
that where strife and disunion have occurred in 
neighbourhoods and congregations, among the 
Germans in America, there black and white 
apostles have immediately appeared, and tried to 
fish in the troubled waters, like eagles which 
have a keen sight and scent. Well, be it so. He 
who controls all things has all power given unto 
him in heaven and on earth. He is the keeper 
of Israel, and never sleeps nor slumbers. What 
he ordains or permits must finally conduce to 
the glorification of his great name, wjien all his 
enemies shall have been placed beneath his 
feet." 

The fears of Dr. Muhlenburg, in relation to the 
inroads which the Moravians might make upon the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 185 



Goshen church, were happily not realized. For, 
in another part of his journal, this minute is to 
be found under date of the 21st of January: 
<' The Moravian emissary held his first meeting 
in the plantation last Sunday, and preached in 
broken English. He exerted himself also very 
much to build up his interests in the Lutheran 
Church there, or else to erect a church near it 
for himself. A person acquainted with the state 
of things told him, that the Ebenezer congrega- 
tion and its associates had hitherto been served 
by regularly-called Evangelical Lutheran minis- 
ters and pastors, and as he had been called to 
instruct the Negro slaves, we wished him God- 
speed and success in it ; and if they had any 
superfluous time and strength, there were yet 
enough other inhabitants and Indians in Georgia, 
who were sitting in darkness and the shadow of 
death, and needed much help for instruction and 
conversion." 

These missionaries Avere not, it would seem 
from this, as successful as they anticipated, and 
in a few years left the colony, and went probably 
to Pennsylvania. Goshen remained a part of the 
Ebenezer charge even after the Revolutionary 
War ; but we shall speak of it more fully here- 
after. 

Dr. Muhlenburg fully accomplished the ob- 
jects of his mission to Georgia. He succeeded 
in healing the breach between Messrs. Ilabcn- 

16* 



186 THE SALZBtjIlGERS 



horst and Triebner, and restored harmony to 
the church. Besides which, he investigated 
thoroughly all the financial affairs of the con- 
gregation, took an inventory of the church pro- 
perty, had all the deeds and grants, &c. pro- 
perly secured and recorded ; and transmitted to 
the founders of the church in Germany a mi- 
nute detail of all his observations and proceed- 
ings. During this visit, he performed a vast 
amount of labour, and displayed a degree of 
prudence and Christian fidelity which are 
worthy of all praise. His duties were fre- 
quently of the most delicate and embarrassing 
character, but he never shrunk from them ; and 
while he always exhibited a nice regard for the 
feelings of those whose conduct he was sent to 
investigate, he never swerved from the path of 
duty, but performed his stewardship faithfully 
and conscientiously, and to the entire satisfac- 
tion of all parties. He left Savannah on the 
20th of February, 1775, and arrived in Phila- 
delphia on the 6th of March, after a tempestu- 
ous and rather unpleasant passage. The Salz- 
burgers and their descendants should cherish 
the memory of Dr. Muhlenburg with lively gra- 
titude. For, as has already been seen, he was 
not only instrumental in restoring harmony to 
the congregation : he saved the church property 
from being alienated, and by his presence and 
labours, and the introduction of a wholesome 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 187 



discipline, he prepared the way for the future 
peace and prosperity of the church. If, in after 
years, his wise counsels and godly conversation 
lost their influence among the Salzburgers, and 
they chose to walk according to their own vain 
and foolish imaginings, he at least must he ex- 
onerated from all censure, for he did every 
thing which human wisdom could devise and hu- 
man agency could accomplish, to place the congre- 
gation at Ebenezer upon such a footing as would 
secure its permanent prosperity and success. 
The wisest and most judicious efforts are, how- 
ever, sometimes unavailing to prevent the down- 
fall of a church ; especially is this the case, 
when God's people provoke his displeasure by 
disobedience to those laws which he has enacted 
for the regulation of their conduct. Wo to 
any people, when by their rebellious spirit they 
arouse the righteous displeasure of God ! " Icha- 
bod !" will be written upon their sanctuaries ; and 
amid the storms of passion which ensue, their 
souls will be given up to spiritual leanness and 
barrenness. 



188 THE SALZBtJRaEliS 



CHAPTER IX. 

Affairs at Ebenezer after Dr. Muhlenburg's departure — Raben- 
horBt and Triebner — Pastors cease to be Trustees, and the trust 
transferred to the church oflBcers— -Mr. Rabenhorst created yira^ 
pastor — State of feeling between the two pastors — Inventory 
of church property — Its estimated value — Church funds — Viewa 
of the propriety of creating them — A case of necessity with the 
Salzburgers — ^General state of the colony— Prosperity of Eben- 
ezer — A fancy sketch — Commercial relations of Ebenezer — 
Gradual extension of the settlements — New settlers come in — 
Commencement of the Revolution — ^Stamp Act and tax on tea 
—State of the public mind in the Province of Georgia — Posi- 
tion of the Salzburgers — Provincial Congress in Savannah — 
Salzburgers in that Congress— Majority of them side with the 
Colonists — Protest of a portion of the Salzburgers— Adherents 
to the Crown in St. Matthew's Parish — Patriotic and noble sen- 
timents of the Salzburgers — Mr. Triebner sides with the Crown 
' — Judicious course of Mr. Rabenhorst — His long and successful 
labours, and death. 

The departure of Dr. Muhlenburg from 
Georgia was universally regretted by all the 
Salzburgers, and particularly by Mr. Raben- 
horst and his family. To this family he became 
very strongly attached, and he makes frequent 
mention of them in his journal, and especially 
of Mrs. Rabenhorst, whom he calls his " foster- 
mother," adding, "The king's daughter is all 
glorious within." <'Like a precious gem, is so 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 189 



humble a soul." Mr. Rabenhorst was very 
deeply affected in separating from Dr. Muhlen- 
burg. In him he had found a prudent friend, 
a judicious adviser, and a warm-hearted and 
affectionate brother. Besides, Dr. Muhlenburg 
seems to have formed a just estimate of the 
talents and sincere piety of Mr. Rabenhorst; 
and as there was great congeniality of spirit 
between them, they became united in the bonds 
of an indissoluble friendship. Mr. Rabenhorst 
was likewise apprehensive, from the known cha- 
racter of his associate, (Mr. Triebner,) that the 
absence of Dr. Muhlenburg would furnish an 
opportunity for new difficulties, if not for the 
opening of the old breach. 

Against the recurrence of any further disrup- 
tion between the two pastors and their respec- 
tive parties, Dr. Muhlenburg had endeavoured 
to guard, as far as a wise foresight would accom- 
plish such an object. He carefully investigated 
all the financial affairs of the church, and placed 
in the hands of the trustees a statement of the 
property belonging to the congregation, together 
with the deeds, grants, &c., and arranged that 
the trustees, and not the 'pastors^ should as far as 
practicable superintend the management of all 
the temporal affairs of the congregation. He 
further inducted Mr. Rabenhorst as first pastor 
or senior minister, and made such an arrange- 
ment in reference to the relations which he and 



190 THE SALZBURGERS 



Mr. Triebner should in future sustain toward 
each other, as to prevent any further jealousy 
or disaffection. With a man of Mr. Triebner's 
disposition it was, however, almost impossible 
to live upon terms of friendship, and for the 
simple reason, that he was in a great measure 
destitute of that spirit of Christian humility and 
brotherly love, which was necessary to make 
a '' true yoke-fellow" in the gospel. Besides, 
the rupture between him and his colleague had 
been of such a character, that it was difficult, if 
not impossible, to induce a man like Mr. Trieb- 
ner, having, it is to be feared, but a small share 
of grace in his heart, cordially and sincerely to 
forgive the past, and to become fully reconciled 
to his brother. If, therefore, there was no open 
hostility between the parties, the asperity of 
feeling on the part of Mr. Triebner was never 
fully subdued. 

It has been stated that Dr. Muhlenburg made 
a careful investigation of all the property be- 
longing to the church, at the time of his last 
visit to Ebenezer in 1774 and 1775. For the 
satisfaction of those who may feel interested in 
this matter, a copy of the inventory which he 
left is here inserted : 

1. In the hands of Pastor Rabenhorst, a capital of 
300?. 165. 5d. 

2. In the hands of John Caspar Wertsch, for the store, 
300/. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 191 



3. In the mill treasury, notes and money, 229^. 16^. 2d. 

4. Pastor Triebner has some money in hands, (400Z.,) 
the application of which has not been determined by 
our Reverend Fathers. 

5. Belonging to the church is a Negro boy at Mr. John 
rioerrs, and a Negro girl at Mr. David Steiner's. 

6. A town-lot and an out-lot, of which Mr. John 
Triebner has the grant in his hands. 

7. An inventory of personal goods in the mills be- 
longing to the estate. 

8. And, finally, real estate, with the mills, 925 acres of 
land. 

At a very reasonable estimate, tliis property 
must have been worth about twelve thousand 
dollars. To this sum additions were subse- 
quently made, by donations from the patrons of 
the colony in Germany, and by legacies from 
private individuals ; so that it is not assuming 
too much to say, that the church property could 
not have been worth much less than twenty 
thousand dollars. 

It has been questioned by many wise and judi- 
cious minds, whether the funding of a large 
capital for the benefit of a congregation is to 
be commended. Whatever objections may be 
urged against this policy as a general rule, we 
think in the case of the Salzburgers it was not 
only wise, but absolutely necessary. Amid the 
persecutions which they had endured in the 
fatherland, their property had been confiscated, 
and they had been driven from their homes, and 
thrown upon the charity of their Christian 



192 THE SALZBURGERS 



friends. They came to America as exiles — poor, 
and houseless ; and but for the liberality of their 
patrons in Germany and England, they could 
not have subsisted, much less could they have 
provided the means to build churches and school- 
houses and support their ministers. In their 
circumstances, the establishment of a church 
fund was an act of necessity; and though in 
other cases such a measure may be deemed 
objectionable, with them it was perfectly justifi- 
able, as without it the colonial churches could 
never have been sustained. It is true, that when 
the descendants of the Salzburgers became able 
to support their pastors, at least to a consider- 
able extent, they withheld their contributions, 
and relied too much upon the income of their 
funded capital ; yet this dereliction of duty on 
their part, furnishes no just ground of objection 
against the provision which was made for the 
churches and their pastors in the infancy of the 
colony. The true policy for every church to 
adopt is, to support its pastor and to maintain 
itself by voluntary/ contributions on the part of 
its members. This is according to apostolic in- 
junction, as well as the practice of the primitive 
church ; and God seems wisely to have connected 
the spiritual prosperity of a church with the 
liberality of its members, in bestowing their 
worldly goods to the support of the cause of 
Christ. There is certainly a " withholding which 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 193 



teiidetli to poverty," and it is only the ^'liberal 
souV that is to "5e made fat.'' As a general 
rule, God has ordained that "they who preach 
the gospel shall live of the gospel," and a peo- 
ple assume a fearful responsibility who, while 
they enjoy the labours of a minister, seek to 
relieve themselves of the obligation to support 
him, by throwing him upon his own private re- 
sources. They thus rob the labourer of his just 
reward, and force him into some secular calling 
to gain a maintenance for himself and family, 
that the church, for which he is spending him- 
self, is bound most solemnly and religiously to 
furnish. No church can expect to prosper, and 
be "enriched with all spiritual gifts," that pur- 
sues such a course. God will be honoured with the 
bestowal of our substance, as well as the dedica- 
tion of our personal service to himself; and 
where the former is intentionally withheld, there 
is very little ground for hope that the latter 
will ever be acceptable. These remarks, how- 
ever, will not apply to the first settlers at Eben- 
ezer, how much soever some of their descendants 
may have been in fault. 

The general state of the colony at Ebenezer 
was on the whole very favourable. It is true, 
as has been noticed, there were some unpleasant 
occurrences in the congregation, but they did 
not seem to affect very seriously the temporal 
prosperity of the Salzburgers. They prosecuted 
17 



194 THE SALZBURG EilS 



their various pursuits with their accustomed 
industry and perseverance, and their labours 
were abundantly rewarded. The town of Eben- 
ezer attained about this time to the height of its 
importance. The population of the town proper 
was not less than five hundred persons. Almost 
every kind of trade was successfully carried on. 
The mechanic, the artisan, and the merchant 
followed their respective avocations with zeal 
and energy, and their thrift met with due re- 
ward. There is an old picture representing the 
appearance of Ebenezer at this period. It is a 
mere outline of the principal points in and 
around the toAvn ; but the Savannah river is 
distinctly delineated, and in the distance may 
be seen two schooners riding at anchor not far 
from '' Ebenezer landing." This may be in 
some respects merely "a fancy sketch," but 
there is no doubt of the fact, that a regular 
trade was carried on between Ebenezer and Sa- 
vannah, and perhaps also with Charleston, by 
means of these schooners or sloops. Through 
Savannah the people also conducted some 
foreign trade, for it has already been stated 
that silk was exported to England, and the Salz- 
burgers were constantly receiving drugs and 
medicines and other supplies from Germany. 

There was also a gradual increase of the popu- 
lation, and new farms were constantly settled in 
almost every part of the country. This was 



AND THEIR DESCENDAKTS. 105 



particularly the case in relation to the lands on 
the water courses, and along the main road 
leading from Savannah to Augusta, and which 
passed through Ebenezer. There was, however, 
with this increase of the population, a change in 
the character of the inhabitants. A number of 
settlers came over from Carolina, and some 
from other portions of Georgia. The majority 
of these, however, located in the upper part of 
the parish, or on its western borders, near i^ 
Ogechee river. Many of these settlers became 
among the most respectable and useful citizens 
in the parish, and the descendants of not jf few 
are still residing in the counties of Effingham 
and Scriven. 

NcAv scenes, however, were about to be en- 
acted in the Province of Georgia, and the Salz- 
burgers were called upon to take part in some 
very important measures, and to mingle in 
strange and thrilling scenes. The passage by 
the British Parliament of the Stamp Act, the 
tax on tea, and the subsequent blockade of the 
port of Boston, because of the resistance of the 
people of Massachusetts to these unjust and 
tyrannical measures, had excited the indignation 
of all the colonies in America. The public mind 
in the Province of Georgia was, as a matter of 
course, considerably agitated in common with 
the people of the other colonies ; and at an early 
period in this controversy Georgia declared her- 



196 THE SALZI3U11GERS 



self opposed to the enactments of Parliament, 
and expressed, in unmistakeable language, her 
sympathy with her sister, Massachusetts. A 
Provincial Congress was held at Savannah on 
the 4th of July, 1774, consisting of delegates 
from the different parishes in the province. The 
Salzburgers could not remain indifferent or in- 
active spectators. When a call was addressed 
to the parishes, requesting them to send dele- 
g|ites to this congress, the Parish of St. Mat- 
thew promptly responded, and the following 
persons were duly chosen."^ John Stirk, John 
Adam Truetlen^ George Walton, EdAvard Jones, 
Jacob Waldhauer, Philip Howell, Isaac Young, 
Jenkins Davis, John Morel, John Floerl, Charles 
McCay, OhristojJiei' Craemer. Thus the Salz- 
burgers, or a very large majority of them, identi- 
fied themselves with the cause of American In- 
dependence even in its very incipiency, and, as 
will hereafter appear, they bore their full share 
in all the dangers and sufferings of the struggle 
which ensued. 

There was a portion of the Salzburgers, how- 
ever, who (no doubt from conscientious motives) 
refused to unite in any remonstrance against 
the proceedings of the mother country, or to 
take any part in the revolutionary measures 
which were afterwards adopted. The following 

* Salzburgers in italics. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 107 



document is inserted to show the feelings of 
these Salzbursers : 



t>^ 



Wednesdat/, September 21, 17T5. 

We, who have just put our names to this paper, inha- 
bitants of the Parish of St. Matthew and town of Eben- 
ezer, think it necessary in this public manner to declare 
that about the 4th day of this inst. (August) we were 
told by certain persons that we must send a petition 
home to our king in regard to the Bostonians, to beg for 
relief, as a child begs a fother when he expects correc- 
tion ; and that all those who would not join must sign 
their names, that they might know how many would be in 
this parish ; and that should we decline what was recom- 
mended, we must expect the Stamp Act imposed upon us. 
By these and like flattering words avc were persuaded to 
sign, but we find we are deceived, for that the people 
who met at Savannah on the 10th inst. did not petition 
our king, but made up a paper, which wc think is very 
wrong, and may incur the displeasure of his Majesty, so 
as to prevent us from having soldiers to help us in case 
of an Indian war. We therefore disagree entirely from 
said paper, and do hereby protest against any resolutions 
that are, or may hereafter be, entered into on this occa- 
sion. Signed, Urban BuntK, George Gnann, John Paulue, 
George Gruber, Matthew Biddenbach, George Ballinger, 
John 0. Rentz, George Buntz, John Pillager, Henry 
Ludwig Buniz, Jacob Metzger, John Metzger, John 
Adam Freymouth, Jacob Feberl, George Zittraucr, John 
Ileckel, Solomon Zandt, Jacob Gnann, Jacob Kieffer, 
Christian Steiner, John Kemshart, Israel Linlberger, 
Leonhart Krauss, George Bechly, Batlas Kieffer, Michael 
Mack, Jr., Peter Freyermouth, Solomon Prothero, John 
Gravenstine, Christopher Rottenberger, Andrew Gnann. 

We, the subscribers, do hereby certify that we are 
against all resolutions : Philip Dell, Paul Pirick, Mat- 
thew Meyer, Jacob Meyer, John JMaurcr, George Maurer, 
Daniel Weitman, Martin Reylander. 
17- 



198 THE SALZBURGERS 



These latter persons, at this time, belonged 
clearly to that class "vvho advocated the doctrine 
of "passive obedience and non-resistance," re- 
cognising, no doubt, the divine right of kings, 
and yielding uncomplaining acquiescence in the 
■will of their sovereign. 

The views of these remonstrants were, how- 
ever, subsequently very materially changed, and 
the majority of them espoused warmly the Whig 
cause, and took a very active part in favour of 
x\merican Independence. 

The adherents to the crown in St. Matthew's 
Parish proved ultimately to be comparatively 
few. Yet they were sufficient to create an 
angry controversy among the inhabitants, which 
imbittered their feelings, and interfered very 
materially with the peace and prosperity of the 
church. The largest portion of the Salzburgers 
espoused the cause of the colonies. They ex- 
claimed, "We have experienced the evils of 
tyranny in our own land ; for the sake of liberty 
we have left home, lands, houses, estates, and 
have taken refuge in the wilds of Georgia; shall 
we now submit again to bondage? No, never." 
A truly noble sentiment ! and one wliich all the 
boasted patriotism of New England never sur- 
passed. They had realized the SAveets of free- 
dom, they had sat beneath the tree of liberty, 
reposed in its shade, and partaken of its precious 
fruits ; they therefore resolved that they would 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 199 



be freemen, and maintain their just rights at all 
hazards. 

But they dreamed not as yet of the difficul- 
ties and privations which awaited them, nor the 
scenes of severe conflict through which they 
would have to pass. They were divided among 
themselves. Even one of their pastors (Mr. 
Triebner) openly espoused the cause of the king, 
and used all his influence to suppress the spirit 
of resistance to the usurpations of the British 
government, which was everywhere manifesting 
itself. And it was as much owing to his eff'orts, 
as to those of any other man, that the Salzbur- 
gers suffered so severely during the Revolu- 
tionary War. Mr. Rabenhorst pursued a more 
manly and judicious course, which was, however, 
to have been expected from his known character 
for prudence. If he did not openly espouse the 
cause of liberty, he did nothing to injure it. 
He laboured to calm the turbulence of passion, 
and endeavoured to enforce, by precept and ex- 
ample, the cultivation of a spirit of moderation 
and forbearance among those who had taken 
opposite sides in this controversy. This, how- 
ever, was impossible in the very nature of things ; 
and it was perhaps fortunate for him, that in the 
midst of the commotion and the scenes of strife 
which ensued, he was called by the great Head 
of the church to receive his reward in heaven. 

It has been found impracticable to ascertain 



200 TUE SALZBURGERS 



the precise time when Mr. Rabenhorst departed 
this life, nor any of the particulars connected 
with his death. He arrived at Ebenezer in 
1752, and probably served the congregation 
about twenty-five years. His character for piety, 
learning, Christian humility, and unyielding 
devotion to the cause of Christ was fully estab- 
lished, and the testimony of his life is the best 
guarantee that he closed his earthly pilgrimage 
in full prospect of a better inheritance. His re- 
mains were deposited in the cemetery connected 
with Zion's church, about four miles below Eben- 
ezer. It was near this church that Mr. Raben- 
horst always resided, the other pastor being set- 
tled in Ebenezer. 

The influence of Mr. Rabenhorst's example 
upon the Salzburgers was very salutar}^ ; and, but 
for the counteracting effect of Mr. Triebner's 
eff"orts and deportment, he would have accom- 
plished a vast amount of good. Even amid the 
adverse circumstances which surrounded him, 
he did very much for the spiritual welfare of 
the congregation ; and the pious Salzburgers in 
Savannahj and throughout his whole charge, 
held him in very high esteem. But, like his 
worthy colleagues, Bolzius and Lembke, he 
passed away from earth, and now sleeps calmly 
among those for whom he laboured well and pro- 
fitably for a quarter of a century. 



AND TIIEIH DESCENDANTS. 201 



CHAPTER X. 

Descent of the British upon Georgia — General Provost takes Sa- 
vannah — British posts along the river — Mr. Triebner takes the 
oath of allegiance to the crown, and conducts ti-oops to Eben- 
ezer — A garrison established under Major Maitland — Proclama- 
tion issued by Major Maitland — Some of the Salzburgers take 
" protections" — Majority of the Salzburgers Whigs — Governor 
Treutlen — Ilolsendorf — John and Samuel Stirk — John Schnider 
— Strohaker — Jonathan and Gotlieb Schnider — Jonathan Rahn 
— Ernest Zittrauer — Joshua and Jacob Helfenstein — Sufferings 
of the Salzburgers during the war — Tories — Eichel and Martin 
Dasher — Marauding parties — Frederick Helfenstein and his 
two sons — General Wayne — The Salzburgers forced to abandon 
their homes — Sufferings at Ebenezer — Prisoners — Sergeants 
Jasper and Newton — Sacrilegious act of the British toward the 
church at Ebenezer — Other acts of cruelty — Mistaken policy 
of the British — Sad influence of the licentiousness of the British 
troops upon the morals of Ebenezer — Pastor Triebner — His 
removal to England and death — General character of the pas- 
tors at Ebenezer — Triebner an exception — Dispensations of 
Providence — General Wayne attempts the reduction of Savan- 
nah — British troops withdrawn from Ebenezer — General Wayne 
makes his head-quarters there — British evacuate Savannah — 
Salzburgers return to Ebenezer — Scene of desolation — Condi- 
tion of the church — Congregation without a pastor — Petition 
sent to Germany — Dr. Muhlenburg's concern for the Salzbur- 
gers — A minister visits Ebenezer — Dr. Muhlenburg's letter — 
Vindication of Mr. Triebner — Pastor to be sent in the spring — 
Despondency among the Salzburgers — Darkness begins to dis- 
appear — New pastor about to be sent. 

The Revolutionary War ccgnmenced in 1775. 
But it was not till 1779 that any demonstration 



202 THE SALZBURGERS 



.fas made against Georgia. In that year, Gene- 
ral Provost, acting under instructions from Sir 
Henry Clinton, made a descent upon Georgia, 
and met with comparatively little resistance. 
He made his head-quarters at Savannah, and 
proceeded to establish posts along the western 
bank of the Savannah river. When Mr. Trieb- 
ner heard that General Provost vfas in Savan- 
nah, he waited upon him, took the oath of alle- 
giance to the crown, and advised that Ebenezer 
should be occupied by royal troops. This was 
accordingly done, and Mr. Triebner had the 
honour (?) to conduct a detachment of British 
soldiers to Ebenezer. These troops were under 
the command of Major Maitland. Upon arriv- 
ing at Ebenezer, they threw up a redoubt within 
a few hundred yards of the church, with a view 
to fortify their position and guard against a sur- 
prise. The remains of this fortification are f till 
standing. 

Upon arriving at Ebenezer, Mnjor Moitland 
issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of St. 
Matthew's Parish, offering the protection of the 
British arms to all who might be disposed to 
take an oath of loyalty and allegiance to the 
crown. Many of the Salzburgers, influenced by 
the advice and example of Mr. Triebner, ac- 
cepted this offer, and obtained certificates gua- 
ranteeing protectic*! to themselves and to their 
property. The majority of the Salzburgers, 



AND TIIKIR DESCKNDAXT?. 20-5 



however, warmly espoused the Republican cause. 
Those who figured most conspicuously were John 
Adam Treutlen, rebel governor; William Hol- 
sendorf, a rebel counsellor; John Stirk, rebel 
colonel; Samuel Stirk, rebel secretary; John 
Schnider, planter; Rudolph Strohaker, butcher. 
Beside these, mention should be made of Jona- 
than Schnider, J. Gotlieb Schnider, Jonathan 
Rahn, Ernest Zittrauer, Joshua and Jacob Hel- 
fenstein, and others. Most of these worthy men 
served faithfully in the struggle for independence, 
imder General Wayne and other officers in the 
American army, and their names deserve to be 
perpetuated with the long list of worthies who 
distinguished themselves by their devotion to 
the cause of liberty. 

The citizens of Ebenezer and the surrounding 
country were made to feel very severely the 
effects of the war. The property of those who 
did not take the oath of allegiance was confis- 
cated, and they w'ere constantly exposed to every 
species of insult and wrong from a hired and 
profligate soldiery. Beside this, some of the 
Salzburgers who espoused the cause of the crown 
became very inveterate in their hostility to the 
Whigs in the settlement, and pillaged and then 
burned their dwellings. The residence on the 
farm of the pious Rabenhorst, was among the 
first that was given to the flames. 

Among those who distinguished themselves 



204 THE SALZBURGETIS 



for their cruelty, was one Eichel, who has been 
properly termed an «' inhuman miscreant," whose 
residence was at Goshen ; and Martin Dasher, 
who kept a public-house five miles below Eben- 
ezer. These men placed themselves at the head 
of marauding parties, composed of British and 
Tories, and laid waste every plantation or farm 
whose occupant was even suspected of favouring 
the republican cause. In these predatory ex- 
cursions the most revolting cruelty and unbridled 
licentiousness were indulged, and the whole 
country was overrun and devastated. Dasher 
seems to have distinguished himself fully as 
much as Eieliel^ though perhaps he was not quite 
so cruel. He had stolen some cattle from a poor 
widow, and General Wayne, while occupying 
Ebenezer, sent him word that if he did not re- 
store them to her in person, he would have him 
taken into custody and gibbeted. This threat 
had the desired effect, and Basher became less 
troublesome to his neighbours. 

Mention has been made of Mr. Frederick Hel- 
fenstein, who settled at Goshen. He had ac- 
quired some property before the war commenced, 
and might have been considered in comfortable 
circumstances. It is known that he owned a 
large tannery in successful operation, a good 
farm, and several valuable Negroes. Of all this' 
property he was dispossessed by the Tories, (or 
Cow-boys, as they were th^n called,) and he was 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 205 



left penr.ilcss to begin the world anew. Thus 
it would seem that his misfortunes did not cease 
even after his settlement in Georgia. Yet he 
never deserted the Whig cause, and furnished, in 
the persons of his sons, several bold soldiers 
during the war. Two of them joined a troop 
of cavalry under Colonel McCoy, and subse- 
quently served under General Wayne. When 
General Wayne, at the close of the war, returned 
to Pennsylvania, (his native State,) these two 
brothers, Joshua and Jacob Helfenstein, accom- 
panied him, and it is more than probable that 
from them the Helfenstein family in Pennsyl- 
vania is descended, several of whom are now 
distinguished preachers in the German Reformed 
Church. In Georgia the name has been changed 
to Helvenston. Mr. John C. Helvenston, of 
Macon county, Georgia, and his brother, residing 
in Florida, no doubt belong to the same family. 
Mr. Frederick Helfenstein died at Goshen at 
the advanced age of eighty-three, and his wife, 
who survived him many years, at the extreme 
old age of ninety-three ! 

The Salzburgers, nevertheless, were to expe- 
rience great annoyances from other sources. 
General Clinton, as before stated, had directed 
that a line of British posts should be estab- 
lished all along the western bank of the Sa- 
vannah river, to check the demonstrations of the 
rebel forces in Carolina. Under these circum- 
18 



206 THE SALZBUKGERS 



Stances Ebenezer, from its somewhat central 
position, became a kind of thoroughfare for the 
British troops in passing through the country 
from Augusta to Savannah. To the inhabitants 
of Ebenezer, particularly, this was a source of 
perpetual annoyance. British troops were con- 
stantly quartered among them, and to avoid the 
rudeness of the soldiers and the heavy tax upon 
their resources, many of the best citizens were 
forced to abandon their homes, and settle in the 
country, thus leaving their houses to the mercy 
of their cruel invaders. 

Besides all this, they were forced to witness 
almost daily acts of cruelty practised by the 
British and Tories toward those Americans who 
happened to fall into their hands as prisoners 
of war ; for it will be remembered that Eben- 
ezer, while in the hands of the British, was the 
point to which all prisoners taken in the sur- 
rounding country were brought, and from thence 
sent to Savannah. It was from this post that 
the prisoners were carried who were rescued by 
Sergeant Jasper and his comrade, Newton, at 
the "Jasper Spring," a few miles above Sa- 
vannah. 

There was one act performed by the British 
commander which was peculiarly trying and 
revolting to the Salzburgers. Their fine brick 
church was converted into a hospital for the 
accommodation of the sick and wounded, and 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 207 



subsequently it was desecrated by being used as 
a stable for their horses. To this latter use it 
was devoted until the close of the war and the 
removal of the British troops from Georgia. 
To show their contempt for the church, and 
their disregard for the religious sentiments of 
the people, the church records were nearly all 
destroyed, and the soldiers would discharge their 
guns at different objects on the church; and even 
to this day the metal ''■swan,'' (Luther's coat 
of arms,) which surmounts the spire on the 
steeple, bears the mark of a musket ball, which 
was fired through it by a reckless soldier. Often, 
too, cannon were discharged at the houses; and 
there is a log house now standing not far from 
Ebenezer, which was perforated by several can- 
non shot. In short, it was the policy (an unwise 
one, truly) of the English officers at this post, as 
it was at every other which they occupied, to 
make their power felt, and by mere brutal force 
to awe the colonists into subjection. The Salz- 
burgers endured all these hardships and indigni- 
ties with becoming fortitude ; and though a few 
were overcome by these severe measures, yet 
the great mass of them remained firm in their 
attachment to the principles of liberty. 

One of the most serious consequences which 
resulted to Ebenezer and the neighbourhood, 
from the occupancy of the town by the British, 
was the sad state of morals which ensued. The 



208 THE SALZBURGERS 



soldiers were licentious in the extreme, and tip- 
pling-houses were est<ablished for their accommo- 
dation in several parts of the town. These be- 
came the resort for the soldiers and many of 
those Salzburgers who espoused the royal cause, 
and thus habits of intemperance were intro- 
duced, and the once sober and moral Germans 
soon learned to imitate the vicious practices of 
their corrupt and debased English associates. 
It was bad enough to desecrate the church, to 
devastate the country, and to drive off the inha- 
bitants. These were, however, light evils com- 
pared with the poisonous moral influences which 
were spread among those who remained, by the 
vicious practices which are always more or less 
incident upon the soldier's life in the camp. 
These effects were seen and felt many years 
after the Revolution terminated. 

It might be interesting to some, to insert a 
detailed account of the events which are said to 
have occurred at Ebenezer during the war, but 
many of them rest upon rather questionable 
authority, and are, besides, not of much histori- 
cal value. The most important to our narrative 
is the part which was taken by Mr. Triebner, 
the pastor at Ebenezer. He seems to have re- 
mained unmoved amid all the wrongs which the 
Salzburgers suffered from the British ; and when 
the war terminated he accompanied the English 
troops to England, where he continued to reside 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 209 



until he attained the advanced age of seventy- 
eight years. It was a wise movement on his 
part to leave the country in company -with the 
English troops ; for in view of the extreme 
lengths to which he went in carrying out his 
Tory principles, it is certain that the Salzburgers 
would never afterward have tolerated him. It 
w^as therefore a fortunate thing for him, that he 
found an asylum in England, where he could 
end his days in retirement and comparative 
peace. 

The departure of Mr. Triebner occasioned no 
regrets among those Salzburgers who had sym- 
pathized with the Whigs of the Revolution, and 
we doubt very much if his friends cherished any 
particular desire to retain him. His appoint- 
ment as one of the pastors at Ebenezer was 
very unfortunate in every respect, but it fur- 
nishes another mournful evidence of the falli- 
bility of human judgment. The patrons of the 
Salzburgers, in Germany, exercised ahvays, as 
they supposed, a wise discrimination in selecting 
pastors for the Ebenezer congregations ; and it 
is worthy of remark that this was the only in- 
stance in which their judgment was at fault ; 
but alas! what mournful consequences resulted 
even from this one mistake ! It was, however, 
permitted for some wise purpose ; and although 
with our present darkened vision we cannot 
comprehend the design which God contemplated, 
18- 



210 THE SALZBURG ERS 



it is the duty of the Christian to bow In humble 
submission, and believe that the glory of God 
will be promoted even by those events in the 
history of the church which are seemingly the 
most adverse. Sometimes he permits an ungodly 
minister to creep into a church, to test the 
stability of his people in the trial of their faith 
and patience. Sometimes he orders it as a 
punishment for the want of faithfulness in the 
discharge of their Christian duties. But, what- 
ever may be the design of such occurrences, it 
is for us always to feel persuaded that God will 
not forsake his church, and that even ^'the gates 
of hell shall never prevail against her." 

In the year 1783 the American troops, under 
General Wayne, attempted to recover Savannah 
from the British. General Clarke, who com- 
manded the royal troops in that city, called in 
his outposts, and made preparations to defend 
his position. The British troops being thus 
withdrawn from Ebenezer, General Wayne es- 
tablished his head-quarters there. Between the 
12th and 25th of July, 1783, all the English 
forces stationed at Savannah, amounting to 
twelve hundred royalists and regulars, besides 
women, children, Indians, and Negroes, sailed 
from the port of Savannah ; the garrison having 
capitulated to General Wayne and other Ameri- 
can officers. Thus Georgia, after having been 
three years, six months, and thirteen daya in 



AND THEIR DKSCKKBANTS. 211 



possession of the British, was abandoned after 
an inglorious attempt to subjugate her people to 
the control of the mother country. 

As soon as the British left Georgia, the Salz- 
burgers had an opportunity to return to their 
much beloved Ebenezer. This many of them 
did ; but alas ! what a scene of desolation was 
presented ! Many of their dwellings had been 
burned, others had been very much injured, 
their gardens were completely destroyed, and 
the general aspect of the place so entirely 
changed that they could scarcely realize that 
here they had once had their homes, in which 
they and their children had dwelt in safety and 
peace, and that around those homes had clus- 
tered the warmest sympathies and most ardent 
affections of their hearts. They, however, went 
to work immediately to repair their houses, and 
to restore, as far as they might be able, order 
out of the general ruin which everywhere pre- 
vailed. 

One of the first objects to which the pious 
Salzburgers directed their attention, was the 
renovation of their church. This they found in 
a most deplorable condition. True, they were 
not compelled to adopt the lamentation of the 
prophet : " Our holy and beautiful house, where 
our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire ^'* 
but they could say, "all our pleasant things 
arc laid waste.'' It has already been stated 



212 THE SALZBURGERS 



that the British had converted the church into a 
hospital, and subsequently into a stable for their 
horses. For this latter purpose they continued 
to use it until their departure from Ebenezer. 
As a matter of course, the Salzburgers found it 
in a foul and most disgusting state ; and to 
render it again decent and fit for use as a place 
for divine worship, was a task almost equal to 
cleansing the famous "Augean stables." But 
although there was no Peneus whose waters they 
could cause to flow through their church, yet by 
industry and perseverance they removed the 
filth which had accumulated, repaired the edifice, 
and having completely renovated it, they once 
more assembled for the worship of God. Amid 
the angry contentions, and the scenes of strife 
and carnage incident upon the war, many of 
them had remained faithful in their devotion to 
their divine Redeemer, and to the religion of 
their fathers. Even when they were scattered 
abroad, and were driven from place to place by 
their enemies, they assembled in groups for the 
purpose of prayer and mutual edification. Now 
that their church was restored to them, they 
longed ardently to meet in the sanctuary with the 
solemn assembly, and worship according to the 
forms which had descended to them from their 
ancestors, and which were halloAved by so many 
endearing associations. But vfho shall call them 
to the house of God? The faithless Triebner 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 213 



had abandoned them ; the pious and beloved Ra- 
benhorst was sleeping "his last sleep," and there 
was nowhere to be found any one to sympathize 
with them in their distress, or to succour them in 
this the hour of their greatest need. They were 
made to realize that they had been left in a state 
of spiritual orphanage. They were without a 
pastor. If there was a time, since their arrival 
in Georgia, when they stood mostly in need of a 
wise and faithful minister, it was at this junc- 
ture. But alas ! they knew of no man speaking 
their language, and sympathizing with them in 
this their day of severe trial, who would be will- 
ing to become their spiritual shepherd, and 
"lead them into the green pastures, and beside 
the still waters" of life. 

In their destitution they naturally turned 
their attention to the much-loved fatherland. 
The elders of the church called together the 
scattered members of this once large and inte- 
resting flock, and banding themselves together 
as brethren, they renewed their covenant en- 
gagements with God, and then addressed an 
affectionate letter to the reverend fathers in 
Germany, humbly but earnestly requesting that 
a pastor might be sent over "to break unto them 
the bread of life." A fraternal correspondence 
was opened, and their patrons in Germany ex- 
pressed not only their warm sympathy with the 
Salzburgers in their present distress, but their 



214 THE SALZBURG ERS 



determination to send them a suitable minister 
as soon as one could be obtained. 

Dr. Muhlenburgh also interested himself on 
behalf of the Salzburgers. He wrote to Ger- 
many, urging the necessity of prompt action on 
the part of the church there in sending a 
preacher to Ebenezer. These efforts were not 
in vain, as shall presently be seen. But while 
they were pending, a Lutheran minister visited 
the churches at Savannah and Ebenezer, (for 
they had both suffered alike during the war,) 
and he was temporarily employed until the con- 
gregation could be supplied from Germany. The 
following letter, written by Dr. Muhlenburg to 
the Hon. Mr. Davis, will show what the friends 
in Germany were doing. It also contains some 
other facts which will be read with interest. 
The letter, it will be noticed, was written in 
1784, just after the close of the war. 



"New Providence, April 19, 1784. 

"Dear Sir: — As to the accounts concerning the cir- 
cumstances of the Ebenezer congregation, with which you 
have been pleased to favour me, I am very much obliged 
to you for your confidence and ancient friendship. It 
seemed to me somewhat strange and unexpected, when 
I heard that the house on Mr. Rabenhorst's plantation 
had been burned down, and that the congregation had 
hired a young minister from Germany. On the same day 
that your letter arrived, I received an important one 
from Germany, from the unwearied benefactor. Rev. S. 
Urlsperger, D.D., and President of the Protestant Evan- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 215 



gelical Consistory in Augsburg, containing, among 
others, the following facts: 

1. The Rev. Mr. Triebner has, since his arrival in 
England, honestly paid the principal and interest of the 
three hundred pounds sterling belonging to Ebenezer 
church, (unto the Rev. S. Urlsperger,) which the deceased 
Mr. Caspar Wertsch owed him. Also, whatsoever Mr. 
Triebner himself owed to the said President he has dis- 
charged, and is acquitted. 

2. Moreover, the Rev. Dr. Urlsperger offers, that if 
some one or other of the Ebenezer congregation may 
have a just and lawful claim against Mr. Triebner, if it 
be laid before him lawfully proved and attested, it shall 
be duly paid. 

3. He would, during the winter season, endeavour to 
find out and call a faithful and suitable minister for 
Ebenezer congregation, and had such a one already in 
view, to be sent in the spring to Ebenezer, if it pleased 
God to grant his blessing to it. 

4. The reverend fathers will grant the interest of the 
capital which lays upon the estate of the late Rev. Ra- 
benhorst toward the support of the new minister, and 
therefore the said principal ought to be well secured. 

5. The said fathers have asked the honourable Society 
in London, whether they would be pleased to continue 
their benefactions toward supporting a minister and 
schoolmaster at Ebenezer? and have received for answer, 
that the Society could not extend their benefactions ex- 
cept to British subjects, and had now to provide for a 
multitude of poor objects. 

0. The reverend President mentions that he has for- 
warded a letter to the wardens and elders at Ebenezer, 
which I hope has arrived, and will no doubt give them 
satisfaction and comfort, so that I have only to add my 
due respects. 

Your well-wishing friend and humble servant. 

Henry M. Muhlenburg." 

" To the Hon. Mr. Davis." 



216 THE SALZBURGERS 



This letter entirely removes all suspicion in 
reference to the supposed dishonesty of Mr. 
Triebner, in the management of that part of the 
Ebenezer church fund which he controlled ; 
and also exonerates Mr. Wertsch from all 
blame in regard to the three hundred pounds 
•which he held as a store-fund. It is important, 
as showing that the aid which the " Society for 
the Promotion of Christianity" had extended to 
the Salzburgers, was withdrawn immediately 
upon the establishment of the independence of 
the States. The Salzburgers were no longer 
^^British" subjects, and of course, were re- 
moved beyond the charities of the Society. Fur- 
ther, it proves, that even after the Revolution the 
reverend fathers claimed and exercised the right 
to appoint the pastor for the Ebenezer congre- 
gation, and this right was duly admitted by the 
wardens and elders of the church. Thus the 
dependence of the Salzburgers upon the church 
in Germany for ministerial service, as well as for 
pecuniary aid, continued until the year 1785, 
about which time a new pastor arrived in 
Georgia. 

Up to this time the prospects of the Salz- 
burgers had been very dark, both as regards 
their temporal and spiritual interests. They 
recovered rather slowly from the sad effects of 
the war. But they never suiFered themselves to 
despair. They had been disciplined in a severe 



AND TIIEIK DESCENDANTS. 217 



school, and had learned that it is unwise to 
yield to the force of circumstances, how forbid- 
ding soever thej might be. They therefore 
laboured on patiently and perseveringly, hoping 
for happier and more prosperous days. They 
believed, too, that their benefactors in Germany 
would not be unmindful of their spiritual desti- 
tution, and with prayerful and believing hearts 
they looked to God, to send them, through these 
benefactors, a faithful and godly minister — one 
who would come imbued with the spirit of his 
station, and preach to them that word which had 
been their chief solace in the hours of their 
deepest calamity. Their prayers were heard, 
and in due time their pastor came. And thus, 
as the darkest clouds which obscure the sun 
are nevertheless tinged by some of his golden 
rays, adding even beauty to the darkness, so they 
were enabled to discover, amid the murky clouds 
■which seemed to overhang their prospects, some 
bright indications of the divine favour, which 
filled them with holy joy, and afforded them the 
earnest that a brighter and better day was about 
to dawn upon them, and that they should yet 
see the glory of God as they had seen it in the 
sanctuary, an denjoy once again, not only tem- 
poral but spiritual prosperity. 



19 



218 THE SALZBURGERS 



CHAPTER XI. 

The arrival of a pastor anticipated — Solicitude on the subject — 
The Rev. John Earnest Bergman arrives at Ebenezer — His early 
history — His qualifications for the ministry — State of affairs 
at Ebenezer and Savannah — Mr. Bergman's defects — Parochial 
schools — Mr. Bernhardt — Mr. Probst — Mr. Ernst — Increase of 
pastoral labours — Church in Savannah — Letter from Mr. Scheu- 
ber — Correct views of the sacraments — Usages of the Lutheran 
Church — Mr. Bergman's marriage — His family — Mr. Bergman 
as a scholar — His correspondence — Parsonage at Ebenezer — 
Bishop Francis Asbury — His letter to Mr. Bergman — Im- 
provement in temporal affairs — Bad habits among the Salzbur- 
gers — Want of church discipline — Disaffection toward the 
church — Members withdraw — Ebenezer bridge — Ebenezer be- 
comes the county site — Effects of this measure — County site 
changed to Springfield — The mills — Demand for English 
preaching — Letter from Bishop Asbury — Mistaken policy — 
Methodists in Savannah — Obligations of the Methodists to the 
Lutheran Church — Rev. Hope Hull — Jonathan Jackson — 
Josiah Randle — John Garvin — Rev. S. Dunwoody — First Me- 
thodist Society in Savannah — Mr. Bergman relinquishes the 
church in Savannah — Letter to Rev. H. Holcombe — Savannah 
church without a pastor — Rev. S. A. Mealy — Salzburgers in 
other churches — Jesse Lee visits Ebenezer — Mr. Bergman cur- 
tails his labours — " Bethel" church erected — Personal difficulty 
— Letter of Rev. J. McVean — Efforts to proselyte — Lax state 
of morals — Want of discipline — Mr. Bergman's grief at the 
condition of the colony — External prosperity — Spiritual declen- 
sion — Death of Mrs. Neidlinger— Mr. Bergman's health declines 
— His death. 

The Salzburgers, particularly the pious por- 
tion of them, received with great satisfaction 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 219 



the intelligence that their brethren in Germany 
were interesting themselves on their behalf, and 
they hailed with great enthusiasm the prospect 
of being soon favoured with the services of a 
devoted and well-qualified pastor. The news of 
his appointment had reached them through the 
letter of Dr. S. Urlsperger to the wardens and 
elders of the church, and they awaited his arri- 
val with great anxiety ; and yet their wishes on 
his behalf were not unmingled with deep solici- 
tude. Although they had the fullest confidence 
in the wisdom and prudence of their German 
benefactors, their sad experience in the case of 
Mr. Triebner had justly excited their fears, lest 
the newly-appointed minister should disappoint 
their expectations. There is always one inevit- 
able and painful result growing out of the im- 
proper conduct of ministers : it excites suspicion 
against the innocent ; and where a pastor has 
proven himself unworthy of the confidence of 
a church, his successor will always be regarded 
with mistrust, until he has established his claims 
to the esteem and respect of his people by his 
unimpeachable deportment. This, however, a 
truly pious minister will soon accomplish; for 
although men are sometimes slow in yielding 
their prejudices, true merit and integrity of 
character will dispel all doubts and evil surmis- 
ing, and win the respect and love of the virtuous. 
At length the wishes and prayers of the Salz- 



220 THE SALZBURGERS 



burgers were answered by the appearance of 
their new pastor. The person sent over by 
the directors in Germany was the Rev. John 
Ernest Bergman, a young man of decided 
talents and extensive literary acquirements. 
Mr. Bergman was a native of Peritsch, in 
Saxony. In 1776, he entered the university 
at Leipsic, where he was graduated with distin- 
guished honour. He was ordained by the Evan- 
gelical Seniors of the Lutheran Church, in the 
Duchy of Augsburg, on the 19th of July, 1783. 
This was once Protestant territory, but was 
surrendered by Prussia, and came under the 
jurisdiction of Bavaria. 

It has not been ascertained from what posi- 
tion he was called when he was chosen pastor at 
Ebenezer; this, however, is not important. He 
arrived in Georgia in the spring of 1785, and 
entered zealously and actively upon the dis- 
charge of his duties. These he was to find 
numerous and arduous, and often a source of 
deep anxiety and perplexity. 

Mr. Bergman found both the temporal and 
spiritual aifairs of the Salzburgers in a very 
'unfavourable condition. The town of Ebenezer 
had been almost entirely deserted during the 
war, and many of the settlements were nearly 
broken up. The people, therefore, had to com- 
mence life almost anew; and, as a matter of 
course, their pecuniary circumstances were very 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 



much embarrassed. Besides this, the whole con- 
gregation had been in a great measure scattered ; 
their records were either lost or very much muti- 
lated ; the members had not only greatly declined, 
but many of them had entirely departed from 
their Christian profession. This was not only 
true of the congregations in and about Eben- 
ezer; it was equally so in relation to the Salz- 
burgers in Savannah. Mr. Bergman was greatly 
grieved at the desolation which met his eye 
on every side, and at times he was well-nigh 
giving up in despair all hopes of restoring order 
and organizing the churches upon a permanent 
footing. 

He possessed, however, many requisites for 
the arduous work w^hich was before him, though 
in some respects he was deficient. He was 
young, and though not endowed with a vigorous 
constitution, yet he was a man of energy and 
great industry. Besides, he possessed more 
than ordinary intellect, which he had cultivated 
with great assiduity. It is questionable whether, 
in point of learning, he was equalled by either 
of his predecessors ; and the manuscripts he exe- 
cuted bear ample testimony to his extensive ac- 
quirements and untiring diligence in the acquisi- 
tion of knowledge. As a pulpit orator he is 
said to have been above mediocrity, and always 
commanded the attention and respect of his 
hearers. He lacked, however, one very import- 
19* 



222 THE SALZBURGERS 

ant ingredient in the character of a minister, to 
make him successful. He had no Jcnozvhdge of 
men and things. In other words, he was a per- 
fect novice in all matters of business, and seemed 
not disposed to cultivate any intercourse with 
society, except in as far as he was forced to do 
so in the discharge of his duty. In his feelings 
he was too exclusive, and did not mingle enough 
with society to qualify him for very extensive 
usefulness. His books were his companions, and 
he sought his chief enjoyment in the retirement 
of his study. 

Under these circumstances, it was not to be 
expected that Mr. Eergman would achieve as 
much for the Salzburgers as he might have done, 
if his disposition had led him to cultivate a freer 
intercourse with his parishioners. Still he was 
instrumental in effecting much, especially for 
the spiritual improvement of the people. 

Mr. Bergman, among other measures, endea- 
voured to revive the parochial school at Eben- 
ezer. A young man by the name of Bernhardt 
was sent over from Germany as a teacher, 
but owing to his levity of disposition and in- 
subordination, he gave Mr. Bergman a great 
deal of trouble. Mr. Bernhardt was in a year 
or two dismissed, and Mr. Probst was appointed 
as his successor. Mr. Probst occupied this posi- 
tion until 1796, when Mr. G. Ernst became the 
teacher. With him terminated the loarochial 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 223 



school, although private schools were subse- 
quently taught at Ebenezer. 

Mr. Bernhardt removed to Carolina, where he 
was converted, and subsequently became a useful 
minister in the Lutheran Church. He was the 
father of the late Kev. David Bernhardt of the 
South Carolina Synod, whose memory will long 
be cherished by the church and all who knew 
him. 

The ministerial labours of Mr. Bergman were 
much more arduous than those of his predeces- 
sors. It will be remembered, that up to the 
Revolutionary War, the Salzburgers had always 
had two, and in some instances three, pastors. 
But the pecuniary affairs of the congregation 
becoming somewhat deranged, and the " Society 
for Propagating Christian Knowledge" having 
withdrawn its aid, the funds were found insuffi- 
cient to maintain more than one minister. It 
was thus made the duty of Mr. Bergman to cul- 
tivate, as far as practicable, this field, which at 
one time gave full employment to not less than 
two pastors. He was, however, not discouraged, 
either by the extent of the field before him, or 
the demand upon his mental and physical ener- 
gies. He immediately entered upon a systematic 
arrangement of his labours, by which he hoped 
to be able to supply not only the churches in 
and about Ebenezer, but also the one in the city 
of Savannah. In a very short time he was 



224 THE SALZBURGERS 



enabled to furnish all these churches with regular 
preaching, apportioning his time between them 
as equally as circumstances would permit. 

The congregation in Savannah, though much 
injured by the war, kept up its organization, and 
some of its members appear to have been de- 
votedly pious men. By a portion of this con- 
gregation Mr. Bergman's labours were highly 
appreciated, and for a time he was instrumental 
in aifecting much good among them. In Decem- 
ber, 1786, he communicated to the elders of the 
church in Savannah his intention to visit them 
and administer the Lord's Supper. The follow- 
ing letter, written to him in reply by one of the 
elders, will be read with interest : 

" SavcDniah, Deeeml>cr 29, 1786. 

Dear Sir: — In a letter of the 26th inst, I understood 
that if it suited the German congregation in Savannah, 
you intended to come down and celebrate the Sacrament 
of the Lord's Supper on Sunday, the 7th of January. In 
consequence of such intimation, I acquainted the elders 
and wardens, who, with one voice, acquiesced in it, and 
agreeably to their resolution gave notice, in yesterday's 
letter, to Mr. Probst. But this day, several other mem- 
bers of the congregation, not being properly prepared for 
so solemn an act in religion, wish beforehand to hear a 
few sermons tending toward this object, in order to pre- 
pare themselves more fully for this sacred duty; and 
consequently they prefer to postpone receiving the Lord's 
Supper until Easter, or thereabouts. 

In the mean time, reverend sir, you are expected on 
Saturday, the 6th of January next, to give the congrega- 
tion a forenoon sermon on repentance, and ^Ir. Probst, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 225 



who, if he should fail in his appointment at Ebenezer, 
may give a sermon in the afternoon ; and if his oration is 
liked by the congregation, may perhaps prove him an 
establishment in this place, in case he should be disap- 
pointed with you. There will be on the Sunday appointed 
a full congregation, if the weather permit. God grant 
you may be satisfied with your appointment, and the con- 
gregation with you, in which I hope you will not fail ; 
and in that case you might even enjoy a heaven on earth. 
You have my best wishes for your welfare and happi- 
ness, and I have the honour, for the first time, to sub- 
scribe myself with sincere regard and profound respect, 
your most humble servant, 

Justus H. Scheuber." 



From this letter it will be seen that the 
church in Savannah was duly organized in the 
year 178T, having a full board of elders and 
wardens. It is further manifest that there must 
have been a favourable state of religious feeling 
among the members, as evinced by the holy 
reverence which they seemed to cherish for the 
ordinances of God's house, and their unwilling- 
ness to partake of those ordinances except after 
due meditation and self-examination. This speaks 
well, at least, for the devotional feelings of a 
congregation; and when such sentiments are 
cherished, they cannot fail to produce the most 
salutary influence upon the character and life. 
This is a peculiarity of the Lutheran Church, 
and arises from the wise and wholesome usages 
which the founders of Lutheranism established 
both in Europe and America. The course of 



226 THE SALZBURGERS 



catechetical instruction prescribed by our ritual, 
and the preparatory services which are held in 
our churches prior to the administration of the 
Lord's Supper, are admirably calculated to in- 
spire the heart with a holy veneration for that 
most solemn and instructive sacrament. It is 
to be regretted that some of our churches have 
manifested a disposition to depart from this 
ancient landmark of Lutheranism. 

About the year 1792, Mr. Bergman married 
Miss Catherine Herb, sister of Mr. Frederick 
Herb, of Savannah. By this marriage Mr. 
Bergman had four children, only one of whom, 
his eldest son, Christopher F., survived him. 
This, for him, was a very happy and advanta- 
geous union. And perhaps much of his success 
in after life may justly be attributed to the in- 
fluence of this most excellent lady. She seems 
to have possessed very remarkable business 
talents; and it is said that her husband com- 
mitted to her the entire management of all his 
domestic matters, even giving up to her the 
receipt and disbursement of all his funds, while 
he devoted himself exclusively to his literary 
pursuits. These were very extensive, and em- 
braced a wide field. History, philosophy, the 
various departments of natural science, classical 
literature, all engaged his attention, and in each 
of them he attained to very considerable profi- 
ciency. As a thelogian, he was especially well 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 227 



read, having acquired a thorough knowledge of 
the Hebrew, Arabic, and several other oriental 
languages. His correspondence, too, was very 
extensive, and he was honoured with the confi- 
dence of some of the most remarkable men of 
his day ; among whom, were Bishop Asbury, 
of the Methodist Episcopal church; Dr. R. 
Purman, pastor of the Baptist church in 
Charleston; the Hon. R. Wayne, and the Rev. 
Messrs. Holcombe, McVean and others, of Sa- 
vannah. 

His home at Ebenezer was the receptacle of 
every preacher who might chance to visit that 
neighbourhood ; and in his Christian intercourse 
with his ministerial brethren of other denomina- 
tions, he seems to have won their confidence and 
Christian regard. Bishop Asbury, on several 
occasions, sojourned at the parsonage at Eben- 
ezer, and between him and Mr. Bergman there 
existed the warmest Christian aifection ; and the 
good bishop held Mr. Bergman in such high re- 
gard that he honoured him with his correspond- 
ence. The following letter is in point. 

" Wilkes count)/, Georgia, December 5, 1800. 
"My Dear and Greatly Respected Friend: — Grace, 
mercy, and peace be multiplied to you and family. 
When I come to Georgia, I remember you if I do not see 
you. For a few years past I have not iDeen able to preach 
or write as formerly. Shall I pity or envy you in your 
solitary life. It must cheer up your mind to converse 
with a friend on paper. I thank you, kind sir, for the 



228 THE SALZBURGERS 



friendly letters you have sent me, and the notice you 
have taken of Elder Lee. This year hath been marked 
with divine glory; my colleague, Bishop Whatcoat, and 
self have travelled from Baltimore, in the month of May 
last, to the east of Boston, west as far as Kentucky and 
Cumberland in Tennessee, South Carolina, to this State, 
making near three thousand miles from the General Con- 
ference. The revival of religion that began with the 
year, became very great ; so that the eastern and western 
shores of Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, have 
felt the holy flame; the high probability is, that one 
or two thousand souls have been under the operations 
of grace. The preachers caught the divine influence at 
the General Conference, where more than one hundred 
ministers assembled, and thus it ran, two, three, four, five 
hundred miles. You have heard of the revival of religion 
among the Germans in the west of Pennsylvania, Mary- 
land, and Virginia, by the instrumentality of the vener- 
able Otterbein,* and an ancient patriarchal man, Martin 
Beem, once a Menonist minister; but he received the 
Methodists about twenty years ago. He was cast out 
by the Menonist. God has given him to see his child- 
ren's children brought to Christ, and peace upon Israel. 
At seventy, he is brisk as a boy, and travels very exten- 
sively ; for in appearance he is like old Moses or Aaron 
with his long beard. Oh ! my dear friend, if you was among 
the thousands in Pennsylvania of Germans to labour, 
and travelling night and day, you might have a happier 
soul and a brighter crown. A late Dr. Lodly was in 
some part of Holland almost useless ; he was sent for to 
New York, and the first sermon he preached in the Low 
Dutch Church, Madam Livingston, and several reputable 
women were convinced. They said it was like a new 
gospel ; he continued in usefulness till the Revolutionary 
War ; then he was forced to retire, when his labours were 
lost as at the first. I was told he had intimations of what 

* Mr. Otterbein was a very pious minister of the German Re- 
formed Church. 



AND TIIEIU DESCENDANTS. 229 



■was to befall him in both changes. Thus a Wesley, and 
some of the Moravian brethren appeared to be buried for a 
time at and about Savannah. And some godly men have 
lived in parishes and congregations in England, with 
small prospects of good. Before I close this letter I must 
give you a sketch of the marvellous work of God. For 
two weeks, we trust one or two hundred souls were 
wrought upon at the General Conference in Baltimore. 
At the yearly Conference at Duck creek, Delaware State, 
one hundred and seventeen came forward to join the 
church, — the fruit of four days' and nights' labour. The 
brethren did not leave the house of God day nor night; 
this was in a small village, and fifty had been added pre- 
viously, since the commencement of the year. The re- 
turn was three hundred in society, as made last June to 
me ; and the work is spreading all around that place, 
through the whole peninsula of Maryland and Dela\yare. 
We have travelled so rapidly and extensively, letters 
could not reach us well, till we came to our yearly con- 
ference in Camden, South Carolina, January 1, 1801. In 
Cumberland, State of Tennessee, God has wrought among 
the Presbyterians ; five godly ministers are entered into 
the spirit of the work, — a Mr. Craighead, Hodge, Ran- 
kin, Mr. Goady, and McGee, and the stationed preachers 
among the Methodists, and some eminent local preachers. 
Judah doth not vex Ephraim; they live and love as 
brethren ; they hold sacramental meetings four days and 
nights, all the ministers present ; it is in the woods ; no 
house will contain the people, wagons, food, fires, some 
ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, and one hundred miles from 
home ; they begin at high noon, preach and pray until 
evening, then retire to refresh with food : and come again, 
and continue the whole night, and souls are born to God 
at the solemn hours of night, — seven, eight, nine, ten, 
twelve, one o'clock, till morning. It hath been judged, 
that the congregation have contained from five hundred, 
to one and two thousand people, and eight or ten minis- 
ters; and at a meeting Bishop Whatcoat and myself 
attended, near twenty ministers present, — Presbyterians, 



230 THE SALZBURGERS 



Methodists, and Baptists ; souls have professed to find 
the Lord from twenty-five to forty-live, and as many as 
one hundred at a meeting. The probability is that 
betveeen three and four hundred have been brought to 
Christ in the course of this summer and fall, and the 
■work was going on when we came from the settlement. 
The ministers promised to send me a correct account of 
the work of God. We hope to be able to publish the 
workings of God with souls. I hope and trust five or six 
thousand souls are, and will be formed of God on this 
continent in 1800, among the difi'erent societies of pro- 
fessing Christians. I shall make no apology for my long 
letters, but the cause of God, love to you, and my joy 
that I have to hear and see my poor labours are not in 
vain, and other ministers, and other societies have Jeho- 
vah with them. I am in the thirtieth year of my labours 
in America, besides about nine years in travelling and 
local labours in England. 

"I am, with great respect, yours in Christ, 

Francis Asbury.' 

The temporal affairs of the Salzburgers com- 
menced improving gradually; and the popula- 
tion which, during the war, had been somewhat 
diminished, began to increase steadily, and to 
assume a somewhat more permanent character. 
Their spiritual interests, too, assumed a more 
favourable aspect, though Mr. Bergman found 
many just causes of complaint. Some of the 
members of the church had fallen into rather 
loose habits of living, and the establishment of 
one or two drinking shops at Ebenezer, exerted 
a most injurious influence upon the morals of not 
a few. Mr. Bergman remonstrated against such 
conduct, but he w^as, perhaps, rather two mild 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 231 



and lenient in the enforcement of the church 
discipline, to effect much of a reformation. Still 
the church made some progress, while it must 
be admitted that the tone of piety was far below 
what it had been in former years. 

Mr. Bergman kept up a regular course of 
catechetical instruction in all his churches, and 
endeavoured to indoctrine the young people of 
his charge in the principles of our holy religion, 
as taught in our standards; and there were 
many, who, under his instructions, became de- 
votedly pious and exemplary Christians. But 
even in his time, a spirit of indifference to the 
Lutheran church began to manifest itself among 
some of the descendants of the Salzburgers, 
which was afterwards to result in the withdrawal 
of not a few of them from the church of their 
fathers. It will be necessary, however, to dwell 
more at large upon this topic hereafter. 

It is not deemed important, nor would it be 
practicable, to attempt a regular chronological 
history of the Salzburgers from this period, 
nor, indeed, is it necessary; for there were not 
many occurrences of striking interest during the 
life-time of Mr. Bergman. The most prominent, 
however, will be noted as far as reliable data 
can be obtained. After a settlement assumes a 
permanent character, it is not to be expected 
that many incidents will happen of sufficient 
moment to make them worthy of historical re- 



232 THE SALZBURGERS 



cord. The reader will, therefore, not expect 
any thing like detailed narrative in the further 
prosecution of this work. 

It has been stated that Mr. Bergman was in 
correspondence with a number of distinguished 
ministers and other gentlemen, and some of their 
letters are extant ; but their publication would 
only swell this volume without increasing its 
interest. It might be mentioned that many of 
these letters furnish intelligence in reference to 
the progress of religion in different parts of the 
United States, and perhaps a few extracts may 
be given from some of them hereafter. 

Mention has been made of the erection of a 
bridge over Ebenezer creek, and the making 
of a causeway through the swamp. The first 
bridge, however, was a very humble and unpre- 
tending structure, and answered only a tempo- 
rary purpose. Mr. King, who owned most of 
the land north of Ebenezer creek, applied to 
the Legislature, in 1791, for a charter for a 
causeway and toll bridge. The charter covered 
a period of thirty years. In 1824, (24th of 
April) the Trustees of the Lutheran church 
purchased, at public sale, Mr. King's interest, 
which was for the unexpired term of nine years, 
for the sum of eighteen hundred dollars. With 
the bridge the Trustees obtained sixty-five acres 
of land. A new bridge was erected by Messrs. 
William and Lewis Bird, in the fall of the same 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 233 



year, at a cost of four hundred and ninety-nine 
dollars. The Trustees obtained a renewal of 
the charter in 1824 for thirty years. Mr. C. F* 
Bergman, in a note in his journal, estimated 
that the income from the bridge for nine years 
would amount to about five thousand dollars. 
Whether or not this expectation was realized, it 
would be difficult to ascertain ; though it is 
certain, that the Trustees did realize at first a 
handsome profit upon the investment. Within 
the last fifteen years, however, the bridge and 
causeway have been rather a tax upon the 
church, as the inferior court of Effingham county 
authorized the opening of a public road from 
Sister's Ferry, on the Savannah river, by way 
of Springfield, on to the city of Savannah. This 
measure has cut off" nearly all the travel from 
the old Augusta road, and the toll-gate does 
not now pay expenses. 

In 1796, Ebenezer was made the county site, 
and the Legislature appointed commissioners to 
select lots for the court-house and jail, and also 
to provide for the support of an academy. 
This academy was intended as a county in- 
stitution. There was already a parochial school 
at Ebenezer, under the care of a competent 
teacher. The instructions, however, were given 
almost exclusively in the German, and did not 
meet the wants of the community, which even 
at this time had become measurably Anglicized. 
20* 



234 THE SALZBURGERS 



The selection of Ebenezer as the county site 
was the second experiment to procure a suitable 
location. The public buildings were erected at 
Tuckasee-King, in 1784, near the present line 
of Scriven county; but as this movement did not 
suit the wishes of the people, Ebenezer was 
selected. It would have been well for the Salz- 
burgers if their town had never been made the 
seat of justice. There are always men of de- 
based morals collecting at a county site, who 
drink, gamble, and indulge in almost every 
species of vice ; and these influences did not fail 
to eff'ect the Salzburgers, some of whom were, 
alas ! too easily seduced from the right way. 
Fortunately for them, however, Ebenezer was 
found to be not sufficiently central; and, in 1799, 
Springfield was made the county site, and con- 
tinues so to this day. 

It has been stated, that during the life-time 
of the first pastors, mills had been erected, and 
several tracts of land were granted for the 
benefit of the church. During the war, nearly 
all these "mill establishments" were materially 
injured, and they subsequently were allowed to 
go to decay. In 1808, the congregation applied 
to the legislature for leave to sell their glebe 
land. This request was granted, and the pro- 
ceeds were placed in the treasury of the church. 
The congregation by degrees disposed of all its 
real estate, and the money was invested in bonds 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 235 



and mortgages, from the interest of which the 
pastor's salary, and the cm-rent expenses of the 
church were paid. This plan is pursued to the 
present day. 

The interests of the churches, both at Eben- 
ezer and Savannah, began to demand that a 
portion of the services should be held in English. 
Many friends of the Lutheran church saw this, 
and felt it, and urged upon Mr. Bergman the 
importance of attempting to qualify himself to 
preach in that language ; but it was with great 
difficulty that he could at first be brought even 
to consider the subject. In this he certainly 
acted unwisely, as will appear hereafter. An 
extract is here given from a letter of Bishop 
Asbury to Mr. Bergman, a part of which bears 
upon this very subject. The letter was written 
from Georgetown, in 1803. After stating the 
wonders which God was working in various parts 
of the country in the conversion of sinners, the 
bishop says : 

*' I am not without expectation of visiting Savannah 
and Ebenezer next December. I shall take an assistant 
with me, and, if I could find a decent family, that had 
the form of godliness, with whom I could lodge, and a 
house to preach in, we would perhaps spend a week. 
But I shall be unwilling to preach in Cloud's or the Bap- 
tist church. If you have a church in town, I would bor- 
row that. I am sorry you do not attend some of the 
camp-meetings. Our yearly conference will be held in 
Augusta, January 1, 1804. There I hope to see you. 
I think as you are not adoanced in age, if you ivish to be 



286 THE salzeuhgers 



extensively useful, you ought by all means to learn English 
to preach, as ivell as to lorite. By dose application and some 
little assistance, you would soon gain a good accent and 
pronunciation. In learning to preach English you will 
open a door to preach to thousands in this country; besides 
you will get good as well do good. I hope that you have a 
clear witness of your redemption in Christ, and that you 
vralk closely with God, and are seeking freedom from all 
sin. When I read in Mr. "Wesley's journal, of the holy 
men once at Ebenezer, I hope you will be their faithful 
successor. Oh ! may the good will of Him that dwelt 
with Moses in the bush be with you, and the dew of 
heaven upon your dwelling-place. 

"I am, as ever, your friend and brother. 

Francis Asbury." 

From this letter it will appear that good men 
in other denominations, who really wished well 
to the Lutheran church, saw that our ministers, 
who persisted in adhering to the German lan- 
guage, pursued a ruinous policy, while they cir- 
cumscribed greatly the sphere of their own use- 
fulness. Would to God, that our forefathers 
could have been truly wise on this subject. It 
will also be seen, that up to this date the Me- 
thodist's had no church in the city of Savannah, 
and Bishop Asbury asked the use of the Luthe- 
ran church. This is a fact worthy of notice. 
There is no doubt that the use of the church 
was cheerfully granted, and thus, as Lutheran 
emigrants from Salzburg were measurably the 
instruments in Mr. Wesley's awakening, and 
Luther's preface to the Romans the means of 
his conversion, the Lutheran church in Savannah 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 237 



•was employed by the first Methodist bishop 
in America to promulgate the doctrines of the 
venerable Wesley. From all this it is apparent 
that Methodism owes many obligations to the 
Lutheran church, "which it is to be regretted 
have not always been duly remembered and 
reciprocated. 

It is proper here to remark, that as early as 
1790, the Rev. Hope Hull was sent to Savan- 
nah to propagate the doctrines of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. He preached a few years in 
a chair-maker's shop belonging to Mr. Lowry; 
but, in consequence of the violent opposition 
raised against him, he met with very little suc- 
cess. In 1796, Jonathan Jackson and Josiah 
Randle made another attempt, without any bet- 
ter results. In 1800, John Garvin commenced 
preaching. He induced a few persons to attend 
his meeting, but never succeeded in organizing 
a society. The next attempt was by Mr. 
Cloud, whose extravagances increased the preju- 
dices against the Methodist ; and it is probable 
that it is to this Mr. <' Cloud's house" that 
Bishop Asbury refers in the foregoing letter. 
In 1806, Rev. Samuel Dunwoody was sent to 
Savannah. By assiduous effort he organized a 
society, and the members after many severe 
trials succeeded in erecting a small house of 
worship, which was called Wesley Chapel. This 
was the origin of Methodism in Savannah. 



238 THE SALZBURGERS 



Nothing of much importance occurrofl among 
the Salzburgers until about the year 1804, when 
Mr. Bergman relinquished the charge of the 
Lutheran church in Savannah. In a letter writ- 
ten to the Rev. Mr. Holcombe, pastor of the 
Baptist church in that city, he assigns the rea- 
sons which had induced him to take this step. 
The letter is dated July 4, 1804. In that letter 
he says : " In Germany both Protestant churches 
(Lutheran and Reformed) have become measur- 
ably corrupt, through false teachers creeping 
into the church, whose bad qualities are de- 
scribed in Paul's letter to Timothy, and in the 
Epistle of Peter. These teachers impiously 
deny all the fundamental doctrines of our sal- 
vation, which is in Jesus Christ. The Germans 
who have come to this country in late years 
have imbibed these false principles, and cannot 
bear sound doctrine, leading also a perverse life. 
Besides this, I cannot see any fruit of the gospel 
preached to them ; and some impious men, long- 
ing for riches, are insolent enough to impute to 
me motives which I never entertained. Fur- 
ther, I am bound to stay at Ebenezer, because 
my frail constitution will not longer endure the 
fatigue of journeying so often to Savannah. 
Consequently, when I visit Savannah hereafter, 
it must be on week-days." 

In another letter addressed to the same gen- 
tleman, Mr. Bergman remarks : " I have not (as 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 239 



has been falsely charged) denounced good morals 
or external religion, as it is termed. I agree 
■with the good Cardinal Bellarmine, who, while he 
apologizes for good works, concludes that it is 
safest and best to put all our confidence in God's 
grace and Christ's merits. And when I pray 
that I may be numbered among God's elect 
children, I desire that he would deal with me, 
not according to my merits^ but according to his 
grace. Yet some wicked persons whom I refused 
to admit to the Lord's table, have accused me 
of advocating Antinomian sentiments. And a 
man by the name of Salvinger, who resides near 
the 'White Bluff,' defamed my name in the Sa- 
vannah market, as did also one Elliott, once a 
schoolmaster at White Bluff, and afterward at 
Goshen, to whom I refused the Lutheran church 
at Ebenezer. The whole Lutheran church in 
America needs a reformation. There are many 
pious people in Germany, and some of them 
come occasionally to this country, but for the 
most part they are only nominal professors, and 
cannot endure sound doctrine. Hence the 
trouble in many of our German churches." 

The motives which prompted this step were 
certainly pure, and the reasons assigned justify 
the course which Mr. Bergman pursued. It is, 
however, probable that he did occasionally visit 
the church in Savannah, and perform services 
for the benefit of the few pious persons who still 



240 THE SALZBURGERS 



adhered to the true doctrines of the Rei<)rmation. 
However, as the services were all held in Ger- 
man, the young people belonging to the congre- 
gation gradually withdrew to attend English 
preaching in other churches, and in a few years 
Mr. Bergman ceased altogether his ministerial 
labours in Savannah, and the Lutheran church 
was closed, and no successful attempt was made 
to revive the congregation until the year 1824, 
when the Rev. S. A. Mealy of Charleston, 
assumed the pastoral charge, — not, however, 
until many of the descendants of the Salzbur- 
gers had been induced to leave the church of 
their fathers, and connect themselves with other 
Christian denominations. The records of all the 
Protestant churches in Savannah will show that 
much of the most valuable material from which 
their societies were organized, was of Lutheran 
origin. And this same sad story must be told 
in reference to the Lutheran population in every 
important city in our Union. It is, however, 
far better that these precious souls should find 
spiritual pasture somewhere, and be made the 
heirs of eternal life, than that they should 
wander about without a spiritual guide, exposed 
to the wiles of Satan and the craftiness of un- 
godly men. 

It was about this time that the Rev. Jesse 
Lee, one of the pioneers of Methodism in the 
United States, visited Ebenezer, and spent a 



AND THETR DESCENDANTS. 241 



few days with Mr. Bergman. The interviews 
seem to have proved a source of mutual edifica- 
tion to these pious men. Mr. Lee, speaks of this 
visit in a letter addressed to Mr. Aurelius of 
New York, and expresses himself as having been 
very favourably impressed with the piety and 
learning of Mr. Bergman. It is a pleasing fact, 
that every one of the first pastors at Ebenezer 
(Mr. Triebner only excepted) commanded the 
confidence and esteem of the ministers in the 
other evangelical churches, showing very clearly 
that their learning and irreproachable Christian 
character had gained for them a most enviable 
reputation among the wise and good. But still, 
their piety and learning did not exempt them 
from the attacks of the vicious and profane ; and, 
as has already been shown, they were often 
made the objects of vituperation. It was, how- 
ever, fortunate for them that they were sustained 
in all their trials by a consciousness of their own 
integrity, and the assurance of the divine appro- 
bation. These are ever the Christian's chief 
solace amid the reproaches of the censorious, 
and the scoffs and derisions of the profligate and 
worldly; and but for the «« sweet peace" which 
the soul derives from a sense of its own recti- 
tude, cheerless indeed would ' the path of the 
faithful minister as he mingles with the cares 
and perplexities of life. But amid the conflicts 
of human passion which meet him on every side, 
21 



242 THE SALZBURGERS 



and the bufFetings and derisions of a world lying 
in wickedness, he may ever and anon hear the 
cheering and animating voice of the Saviour, 
"Lo! I am with you always!" "My peace I 
give unto you." ''Be of good cheer! I have 
overcome the world." Thus he passes on 
through life, ever reposing his confidence in the 
great captain of his salvation, and sustained by 
the hope that his labours and toils shall termi- 
nate in a rich and glorious reward, which shall 
amply compensate him for all the afflictions inci- 
dent to his earthly pilgrimage. 

The labours of Mr. Bergman were somewhat 
curtailed by relinquishing the charge of the 
Lutheran church in Savannah ; and it has already 
been stated, that the church called Bethany 
had been in a good measure abandoned. It be- 
came necessary, however, to erect a new church 
near "Jack's branch," about four miles northwest 
of Springfield, the county site. This church was 
called '^Bethel.'' It was demanded by the emi- 
gration to that neighbourhood of a number of 
families who had formerly resided near Ebenezer, 
and were members of the congregation at that 
place. Yet no new organization was attempted ; 
and, even to this day, the members residing near 
Bethel continue their connection with the parent- 
church at Ebenezer. This was a judicious move- 
ment on the part of Mr. Bergman, as it was the 
means of saving to the Lutheran church many 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 243 



families who might otherwise have connected 
themselves with other denominations. 

Among the difficulties connected with his 
labours, Mr. Bergman mentions several of a 
personal character. One of these was with Co- 
lonel W., who resided near Sister's Ferry. The 
nature of the misunderstanding is not stated, 
nor is it necessary at this late day to attempt to 
investigate it. Colonel W. had been a soldier 
in the Revolutionary War, and was a man of in- 
fluence ; hence, Mr. Bergman was troubled be- 
cause of the rupture which had taken place, and 
corresponded with the Rev. John McVean on 
the subject. Mr. Mc Vean was stationed in Sa- 
vannah as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. An extract from his letter to Mr. Berg- 
man on this subject is here inserted, to show 
the excellent spirit by which he was actuated. 
Besides, it contains a great deal of wholesome 
Christian advice, which it would be well for 
every one to remember and practice. He says: 

" I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding between 
you and Colonel W., and sincerely wish it were other- 
wise. I know it is painful to human feelings to receive 
injuries from the quarter from whence they were least 
expected ; but our Saviour suffered in the same way, and 
good men often do and may expect to suffer. May I be 
permitted to suggest a plan of reconciliation? When I 
do so, I need only quote Scripture to you, without any 
comment. First, 'If thy brother trespass against thee, 
go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone ; 
if he shall hear thee, then thou hast gained thy brother. 



244 THE SALZBURGERS 



Matt. xiii. 15 ; v. 23. Do, my dear sir, have the honour 
and the comfort to be the first to make peace : love "will 
conquer the stoutest. Suppose you were to take up the 
cross and go some serene and clear morning and break- 
fast with Colonel W., and bind and tie his hands, and 
feet, and heart, and tongue with cords of love and with 
pious loving conversation and admonition ; this will do. 
This method I am certain will succeed, and under its in- 
fluence even the ' lion will become a lamb.' 
" Yours in Christian love, 

John McVean.^' 

It is believed that this advice was ta,ken, and 
friendly relations were again established between 
these parties. 

In addition to the sources of trouble which 
have already been stated, one which was very 
trying to his feelings was the disposition mani- 
fested by some of the descendants of the Salz- 
burgers to forsake the church of their fathers. 
The Methodists and Baptists began to preach in 
various portions of Effingham county; and, in 
several instances, members were drawn off from 
the Lutheran church, who, with their families, 
formed a nucleus for the organization of other 
churches differing from the Lutheran, if not in 
any essential doctrinal views, yet in their uses 
and form of church government; and it will 
appear hereafter, that, but for the material which 
the Salzburgers furnished to the other denomi- 
nations which have sprung up in Effingham 
county, they could never have had any existence. 
This is true, particularly, in relation to the 



AND THEIR DESCEKDANTS. 245 



Methodist and Baptist churches, and it is a fact 
susceptible of proof, especially in relation to 
the Methodist church, that their very best mem- 
bers, both as to piety and influence, are those 
•who descended from the Salzburgers. Mr. 
Bergman saw the course which things were 
taking in this respect, and he might have 
checked it, at least measurably, by introducing 
the English language into the church service, 
and by bestowing a little more attention upon the 
spiritual wants of his people; but, with all his 
piety and learning, his views were not sufficiently 
Ijraetieal. 

There was, however, another cause operating, 
to produce alienation of feeling on the part of 
those who felt it their duty to cultivate a spirit 
of genuine piety; and that was the lax state of 
morals in which many of the members indulged, 
and the want of proper church discipline. The 
discipline was there, but it was a dead letter. 
Mr. Bergman either did not, or could not enforce 
it, and many of the members became very irregu- 
lar in their habits, so that their conduct was a 
just cause of offence to the more godly and con- 
sistent part of the congregation ; and many were 
constrained from a sense of duty to flee from 
associations which they felt were baneful, and to 
seek others, more congenial to their feelings, and 
better calculated to aid them in the cultivation 
of their hearts and the fuller development of the 
21- 



246 THE SALZBURGERS 



Christian character. It is not admitted that 
such a course of conduct is justifiable under all 
circumstances, and should not be adopted except 
in extreme cases ; and only after every means has 
been tried to effect a reformation. Then our 
own safety may require us to separate ourselves 
from those "evil communications" "which may 
tend to corrupt our religious principles. 

The state of the churches was a source of 
deep sorrow to Mr. Bergman. In his letters to 
his friends, he complained of the fruitlessness 
of his labours, and seemed wellnigh to despair of 
ever accomplishing any permanent good. His 
personal piety was evidently of a high order, and 
in this respect he was well calculated to be a 
teacher in divine things ; but still, he appears 
to have been unable to wield that moral influence 
which was necessary to suppress every species 
of vice among his people, and induce them to 
aim at an elevated standard of piety. 

Thus things continued to progress from year 
to year ; and though the outward prosperity of 
the colony was increasing, the population multi- 
plying, the people acquiring wealth and seeking 
new means of advancing their worldly interests, 
yet there was a gradual but manifest decline in 
the piety of many of the Salzburgers, so that the 
language of Jeremiah to Israel might very justly 
be applied to the descendants of the Salzburgers ; 
*' Yet I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 247 



seed; how then art thou turned into the de- 
generate plant of a strange vine unto me?" Jer. 
ii. 21. Nevertheless God had not left himself 
without witnesses. 

In the midst of all his other trials, Mr. Berg- 
man was about to experience a heavy bereave- 
ment, in the loss of his only daughter, Ann 
Catharine, consort of John Neidlinger, She 
was born January 1, 1795, and married Sep- 
tember 18, 1814. In her sixteenth year she 
made a profession of religion, and connected 
herself with the Lutheran congregation at Eben- 
ezer, according to the established usages of the 
church. Her marriage seems not to have been 
a judicious one, and proved a source of grief to 
herself and her family. Her death occurred 
on the 31st of January, 1819, she being in her 
twenty-fifth year. Her brother has these notes 
in his journal in reference to her decease: 
" When her mother first came to her, she said : 
< Mother, are you not sorry for your poor child?' 
(alluding to her bodily suffering.) She con- 
tinued: <I am going to my dear Redeemer. 
My Redeemer will have mercy on me. I am 
quite happy and easy, my Saviour has strength- 
ened me, I feel not the least pain.' She ex- 
pired without a sigh or a groan, calmly com- 
mending her spirit into the hands of her divine 
Saviour." 

This sad event cast quite a gloom over the 



248 THE SALZBURGERS 



family, and it is to be hoped that the dispensa- 
tion was sanctified to all who were aJSiicted by it. 
A few years subsequently to the death of his 
daughter, Mr. Bergman himself was removed 
from the vineyard of the Lord. This occurred 
on the 25th of February, 1824. Mr. Bergman 
had served the congregation at Ebenezer with 
great faithfulness, but his labours seem not to 
have been duly appreciated, and there had 
evidently been a retrograde movement in the 
congregation, and the moral and religious aspect 
of the colony was far from being favourable. 
Yet his labours were not in vain. God gave him 
many seals to his ministry, some of whom still 
live to bless the church and the world by their 
pious and exemplary deportment. The labourer 
was gathered to his reward in peace and holy 
triumph, after having spent thirty-six years of 
unremitting toil in the Master's vineyard. His 
remains were buried in Ebenezer Cemetery, 
and there, with hundreds of the pious Salzbur- 
gers, he rests in hope of a better resurrection. 
" He was a good man and full of faith." 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 249 



CHAPTER XII. 

Gloomy prospects at Ebenezer — Ilev. C. F. Bergman — His early re- 
ligious sentiments — Calvinistic tendency — Attends the Georgia 
Presbytery — Letter to Rev. M. Ranch — Conflicting views — 
Becomes a member of Presbytery — Receives a call to St. Mat- 
thew's Lutheran Church — Dr. J. Bachman visits Savannah and 
Ebenezer — Interview and correspondence with Mr. Bergman — 
Mr. Bergman changes his views, joins South Carolina Synod, 
and becomes pastor at Ebenezer — His piety and qualification 
for the work — State of the congregation — Methodist and Bap- 
tist churches organized — Methodist church at Goshen — Rev. J. 
0. Andrew — Delusion — A false messiah — Strange scene at 
Goshen — Sad results — Rev. L. Myers locates at Goshen — Hia 
character, labours, and death — Temperance movement at 
Ebenezer — Mr. Bergman introduces English preaching — Ilia 
marriage — His children — Temporal and spiritual prosperity — 
Emigration of Salzburgers to other counties — Church in Sa- 
vannah — Rev. S. A. Mealy — Rev. N. Aldrich — New church in 
Savannah — Rev. A. J. Karn — German congregation — Rev. W. 
Epping — Disaffection at Ebenezer — Other churches built up 
by Salzburgers — Mr. Bergman as a scholar — Trials — Indiffer- 
ence to education — Mr. Bergman's sickness and death — Rev. 
J. D. Schenck— Rev. E. A. Bolles— Difficulties at Ebenezer— 
Rev. P. A. Strobel — Death of Mrs. Bergman — Rev. E, KiefiFer — 
Rev. G. Haltiwanger — Rev. J. Austin — Present condition of 
the church — " Father Snider." 

The condition of the colony at Ebenezer, 
on the death of Mr. Bergman, was gloomy in- 
deed. Owing to the establishment of the inde- 



250 THE SALZBURGERS 



pendence of the States, the ^' Society for Pro- 
moting Christian Knowledge" had ceased to ex- 
tend any aid to the Salzburgers, and as the 
congregation at Ebenezer had made some 
changes in the administration of its affairs, the 
church no longer looked to their friends in Ger- 
many to supply them with a pastor. Their 
friend and faithful adviser, Dr. Muhlenburg, 
was dead, and there was no Lutheran Synod in 
the South from which they could expect to receive 
any aid. It is true, Mr. Bergman had left a son, 
Christopher F., a young man of deep piety and 
of extensive learning, acquired mostly under 
the instruction of his father, and to him the 
people naturally looked as the successor of their 
late venerable pastor. His mind, however, was 
turned in a different direction. 

Young Bergman seems in early life to have 
imbibed strong Calvinistic sentiments. This, no 
doubt, was the result of his reading. He had 
made himself familiar with the writings of Scott, 
Henry, Doddridge, and other eminent divines 
of that school, and he appears to have adopted 
the doctrine of the "Divine Sovereignty" and 
the doctrine of "grace," as taught in Cal- 
vin's institutes. So far had he gone in em- 
bracing these tenets, that he attended several 
sessions of the Georgia Presbytery, one in Abbe- 
ville South Carolina, in 1821, one in Augusta 
in 1822, and the other at Daricn in 1823. At 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 251 



this latter meeting he presented a Latin exegesis 
on this question, "An Christus sit Deus verus." 
The exegesis was received with great favour by 
the Presbytery, and Mr. Bergman was examined 
as to his personal piety, and upon natural and 
moral science. This examination was highly 
creditable, and furnished unmistakable evidence 
of fine order of intellect and very extensive ac- 
quirements. Mr. Bergman was consequently 
duly licensed as a Presbyterian minister. In 
his father's congregation, he had occasionally 
exercised his gifts in preaching the gospel, but 
it was not with a view to become the pastor of 
the church. This may be learned from the fol- 
lowing extract of a letter addressed to Rev. M. 
Rauch in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and dated 
September T, 1821. 

" I have been for a while past revolving the question 
within myself, on the propriety of my assuming the pas- 
toral relation in connection with our society. It is not 
very material whether we are denominated Calvinistic 
or Lutheran, provided the gospel be preached in purity 
and according to its true intent and acceptation. As to 
the exposition of the doctrine of grace, we need only refer 
to impartial history to discover that Luther maintained 
it no less strenuously than (palvin himself, differing only 
in a few slight shades. The fact is this, there are mys- 
teries in revelation which a finite mind is incapable of 
resolving on any known principles. 

" If I say, 'Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the 
whole world,' the question arises, ' Why then are not all 
saved?' because they do not believe; but then 'faith is 
the gift of God.' It is the word of God that we believe, 



9.A9 



THE SALZBURGEES 



when he has said, that nothing debars us from salvation 
but unwillingness or dissimulation. If, then, this desire 
and inclination be implanted in us by God's Holy Spirit, 
we shall of course be saved. Our salvation must be gra- 
tuitously bestowed, if by free grace. 

"The difficulty that presents itself on the other hand 
is no less formidable. The only way to extricate our- 
selves is to receive the sacred Scriptures as we find them, 
and not confine ourselves to abstract systematic reason- 
ing. The Scripture is the best interpreter of itself. 

" Yours sincerely, 

Christopher F. Bergman." 

In this state of mind Mr. Bergman continued in 
the Presbyterian church until the year 1824. In 
the mean time he was invited to take charge of the 
Lutheran church in St. Matthew's Parish, South 
Carolina, which, however, he declined. In 1824, 
Dr. Bachman, pastor of the Lutheran church in 
Charleston, went to Savannah with a view to 
attempt a reorganization of the Lutheran con- 
gregation in the latter city. Dr. Bachman ex- 
tended his visit to Ebenezer, and had an inter- 
view with Mr. Bergman. This interview, in con- 
nection with a subsequent correspondence be- 
tween the parties, gave a new direction to the 
theological views of Mr. Bergman. He embraced 
cordially the doctrines of the Lutheran church; 
and, in November, 1824, was received in connec- 
tion with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of 
South Carolina and adjacent States, and solemnly 
ordained a minister of the gospel. He imme- 



A^'D THEIIl DESCENDANTS. 253 



diately assumed the pastoral charge of the con- 
gregation at Ebenezer. 

To the discharge of his duties as a pastor, 
Mr. Bergman brought a mind well stored with 
varied and useful learning, and a heart deeply 
imbued with a spirit of Christian humility and un- 
feigned piety. In his tastes he was, perhaps, rather 
too refined for the particular sphere in which he 
moved. He had been a close student of nature, 
and his journal furnishes abundant evidence of 
a rich exuberance of sentiment, chastened, how- 
ever, by a strong religious sentiment. His cast 
of mind was, perhaps, rather melancholic, but 
yet he seems always to have cherished an un- 
wavering confidence in God, which cheered and 
animated him, even under the most trying cir- 
cumstances. Still, there was a natural timidity 
and reserve in his character, which operated 
somewhat to his disadvantage as a pastor. 

When he assumed that relation at Ebenezer, 
he found the congregation in a declining condi- 
tion. This, as has been stated, was occasioned 
in part by the want of proper discipline, and 
also by the too long use of the German lan- 
guage. These causes induced many of the de- 
scendants of the Salzburgers to forsake the 
church of their fathers, and unite in the organi- 
zation of other societies. Methodist and Bap- 
tist churches sprung up in various parts of the 
county, and the preachers of these denomina- 



254 THE SALZBURGERS 



tions seemed to labour with great zeal to prose- 
lyte the members of the Lutheran church and 
their families. In this they were only too suc- 
cessful. In the neighbourhood of Goshen, Mr. 
David Gougle and his family, with several others, 
were induced to join the Methodist society; and, 
as they were allowed the use of the Lutheran 
church at Goshen, in process of time the church 
itself was transferred to the Methodist Confer- 
ence, and is held to this day as their property, 
though the stvan still surmounts the spire, clearly 
showing what was originally the character of 
the church. 

The Methodist church at Goshen was organ- 
ized about the year 1822. The Rev. James 0. 
Andrew (now Bishop Andrew) was at that time 
stationed in Savannah, but occasionally, and 
perhaps statedly, visited Goshen. It was under 
his ministry that this society was formed, though 
the transfer of the property did not take place 
for several years afterwards. Among the first 
members of this society, were, besides Mr. David 
Gougle, his daughters, Mrs. Nowlan (wife of 
Major Nowlan) and Mrs. Charlton, and the hus- 
band of the latter. Major John Charlton. 

There is a singular incident connected with 
the history of this church at Goshen, which it 
may be proper to insert here. The facts are 
given, but, out of respect to the feelings of their 
families, the names of the parties are suppressed. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 255 



Two gentlemen, Mr. D — and Captain W — , 
labouring under a strange hallucination, ima- 
gined themselves called, by a special revelation 
from heaven, to preach the gospel. By dwell- 
ing too much upon this subject, they ultimately 
became somewhat monomaniac, and announced 
themselves respectively as John the Baptist and 
the Messiah. They made an appointment to 
preach at Goshen, but owing to their insane 
pretensions, the elders closed the church against 
them. Nevertheless, they attended at the 
church at the time appointed, and announced to 
the large congregation assembled, that, as an 
evidence of the divinity of their mission, the 
doors and windows would fly open miraculously, 
precisely at twelve o'clock. But their prediction 
was not verified, and they were compelled to 
leave the assemblage, being deeply mortified at 
their disappointment. Of course, the whole 

affair proved a miserable farce. Mr. W 

left his house the next day, under great mental 
excitement, and wandered about in the woods 
until he died from hunger and exhaustion. Apart 
from this strange delusion, he is represented as 
having been one of the best and most exemplary 
men of his day, and was even honoured with a 

seat in the Legislature. Mr. D , who had 

once been sheriff of Eflingham county, after 
being immersed some three or four times, con- 
nected himself with the "Bible Christians or 



256 THE SALZBURGERS 



Campbellites." He still lives, and is man of 
great integrity, and possesses many fine traits of 
character. 

In the neighbourhood of Goshen resided the 
Rev. Lewis Myers, a venerable local preacher 
of the Methodist connection. He was admitted 
a member of the South Carolina Conference in 
1799, and continued in the itinerancy until 
about the year 1823, when he settled with his 
family at Goshen in Effingham county. Father 
Myers occupied a very conspicuous place in the 
Methodist church. He was stationed at one 
time in Charleston, South Carolina, and fre- 
quently received the appointment of presiding 
elder. He travelled extensively in South Caro- 
lina and Georgia, and by his zeal and piety 
always secured the confidence and esteem of 
those who formed his acquaintance. After he 
located, he laboured diligently in the cause of 
his Master. He was a warm friend of Sab- 
bath-schools and the temperance cause, and gave 
to both the full weight of his influence. In his 
domestic relations, he was dutiful and afi'ection- 
ate, and very social in his feelings. He always 
candidly reproved faults when he discovered 
them, but the reproof was tempered with kind- 
ness, and no one could fail to see the spirit of the 
honest, uncompromising Christian in every act 
of his life. He reared an intelligent and re- 
spectable family, most of whom are still living. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 257 



Father Myers was attacked with paralysis in 

1848, from which he never fully recovered. In 

1849, he removed with his family to Springfield, 
where he resided until his death, which occurred 
in 1851. 

Mr. Bergman entered upon his duties at 
Ebenezer with zeal, and with a full determina- 
tion to discharge his obligations to his people in 
the fear of God ; but he soon found that he was 
to meet with serious opposition in carrying out 
some of his measures of reform. He had seen 
that intemperance was prevailing to rather too 
great an extent among the people of the county, 
and that some of his own church-members were 
not as free from this sin as he had a right to 
expect. He therefore felt constrained to re- 
prove this vice from the pulpit, and to suggest 
the propriety of organizing a temperance society. 
This measure met with very few advocates, and 
it is said that one of his members rebuked him 
publicly, in not very mild terms, for his temerity 
in attempting to correct this evil. He was not, 
however, driven from his purpose. 

Mr. Bergman continued to preach at Eben- 
ezer, at Bethel, and occasionally at Zion's, and 
he introduced the use of the English language 
in all the churches. This, together with the 
better enforcement of the discipline, had a bene- 
ficial influence upon the spiritual interests of 
the church, and the cause of true piety seemed 



258 THE SALZBtlRGERS 



generally to revive. Still there was mucli apathy 
and indifference among a large portion of the 
members. 

In 1825, Mr. Bergman was married to Miss 
Mary C. Fieri, second daughter of Mr. Israel 
Fieri, a lineal descendant of the Salzburgers. 
This lady, in point of mind and disposition, was 
well calculated to become the companion of such 
a man as Mr. Bergman, and their union was a 
source of mutual happiness and comfort. By 
this marriage, Mr. Bergman had three children, 
only one of whom survived him ; a daughter, who 
died, however, in 1837. 

There is nothing of special importance to notice 
in the general condition of the descendants of the 
Salzburgers during the ministry of Mr. Bergman. 
In their temporal interests they were very much 
prospered; and, on the whole, the church had 
made some improvement in spirituality. 

There was, however, manifested by many of 
the Salzburgers, a disposition to emigrate to 
other sections of Georgia. Some had removed 
to Scriven, and other families had located in 
Lowndes and Thomas counties ; and in fact, the 
descendants of the Salzburgers, if we had the 
means to trace them up, could no doubt be found 
in many States of the Union, from Pennsylva- 
nia to Louisiana, and in nearly one-third of 
the counties of Georgia ; though, it is true, in 
most cases, in rather an isolated condition ; 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 259 



still they retain their names and their general 
characteristics. 

Reference has been made to the church in 
Savannah. The congregation, since the elder 
Bergman relinquished his charge, had greatly 
declined, though there were some pious fami- 
lies who still adhered to our confession. In 
1824, Dr. Bachman of Charleston succeeded in 
reorganizing the church. He found the families 
of Mr. Frederick Herb, Mr. Snider, Mr. Haupt, 
Mr. Spann, Mr. Gougle, Mr. Felt, Mrs. S. 
Cooper, Mrs. N. Weriman, and Mrs. L. Cooper, 
and some others who were still attached to the 
Lutheran church, and were disposed to unite in 
an effort to resuscitate the congregation. The 
effort was successful. 

The same year, the Rev. Stephen A. Mealy, 
a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and a 
licentiate of the South Carolina Synod, was in- 
duced to remove to Savannah and assume the 
pastoral charge of the church. Mr. Mealy had 
the pleasure to see the church attain to consider- 
able respectability, both as to piety and num- 
bers. He served this people with great useful- 
ness until 1839, when he accepted a call from 
St. Matthew's Church in Philadelphia, and re- 
moved to that city. 

Mr. Mealy was succeeded by Rev. N. Aldrich 
of Charleston. Mr. Aldrich removed to Savan- 
nah in 1840. Up to the year 1843, the congre- 



260 THE SALZBURGERS 



gation had worshipped in a small wooden church 
which had been erected before the Revolutionary 
War. As, however, the city of Savannah was 
rapidly improving, and the congregation had in- 
creased in wealth and intelligence, a fine brick 
edifice eighty-eight by fifty-six feet was erected, 
at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. The church 
was dedicated in the fall of 1843, on which oc- 
casion the pastor was aided by Rev. Dr. Bach- 
man of Charleston. 

Mr. Aldrich continued in Savannah until the 
year 1850, when he was succeeded by the Rev. 
A. J. Karn, who still sustains the pastoral rela- 
tion. Mr. Karn labours with great acceptance 
to the people of his charge. The congregation 
is rapidly improving, and has been blessed with 
several gracious revivals, which have brought 
many members into the church. This congrega- 
tion occupies, at this time, a very favourable 
position in the estimation of the Christian com- 
munity of Savannah, and is making itself re- 
spected by the happy influence that it is exert- 
ing upon the moral interests of a large portion 
of the community. Within the last two years a 
German congregation has been organized, which 
bids fair, under the divine blessing, to accomplish 
much good for the large German population which 
is now to be found in that city. The German 
congregation is at present supplied by the Rev. 
W. Epping. These two churches, acting as they 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 261 



do in concert, are well adapted to meet the 
wants of the English and German Lutherans in 
Savannah, and important results may be confi- 
dently expected from them. May great grace 
abide upon them, and may God continually add 
to their number scores and hundreds, who shall 
be saved in the great day of rejoicing. 

It has been deemed proper to make this refer- 
ence to the Lutheran church in Savannah, be- 
cause it was originally organized by emigrants 
from Salzburg, and was for many years a con- 
stituent part of the pastorate at Ebenezer. 
Great changes, however, have taken place in the 
congregation. Very few of its present members 
are descended from the original stock, and the 
church has become entirely anglicized. In fact, 
it has been so ever since 1824, when Mr. Mealy 
became the pastor. Having said this much in 
relation to Savannah, it is time to return to 
Ebenezer. 

It has been stated that many of the descend- 
ants of the Salzburgers had abandoned the 
church of their fathers, and had aided mate- 
rially in the organization of other churches. 
In Savannah, in the Episcopal church, the Me- 
thodist Episcopal church, and the Baptist 
church, many of them may be found. This is 
particularly the case in reference to the Metho- 
dist church. There we find the Remsharts, the 
Sniders, the Heidts, and others; some of them 



262 THE SALZBURGEPtS 



men of wealth and influence. This is, however, 
more especially true in relation to Effingham 
county. Prominent among the Methodists may 
be seen the Hineleys, Sherraus, Bergsteiners, 
Scheubtrines, Neidlingers, Zittrauers, Mingle- 
dorffs, Oechleys, (now spelled Exley,) occasion- 
ally a Rahn, a Gnann, a Zettler, and some of 
the descendants of the Gougels, including the 
Charltons, Remsharts, and others. In the Bap- 
tist church, there are occasionally a Rahn, some 
of the Dashers, Waldhours, Wisenbakers, Berg- 
steiners, &c. &c. These families constitute, for 
the most part, the most conspicuos and wealthy 
members in the churches to which they respec- 
tively belong. Their withdrawal from the Lu- 
theran church was certainly a serious loss; but 
it is consoling to think that they still form a 
portion of the great army of our common Lord, 
and in their new spheres of action are contri- 
buting materially to push forward the triumphs 
of the cross. Though, therefore, they have 
"gone out from us," we can heartily wish them 
God-speed, even though it may not be proper to 
endorse the propriety of the course which they 
pursued, in abandoning the church of their 
fathers, especially as they cannot find in other 
communities any thing which is sounder in faith, 
or wiser, or more judicious in discipline and 
church government, than existed in the church 
which they left. And if reform was needed. 



AND TIIETR DESCENDANTS. 203 



tliey who were the first to perceive the necessity, 
were under the greatest obligation to labour with 
the most untiring zeal and energy to effect it. 

These disaffections among the Salzburgers 
toward the Lutheran church, many of which 
occurred in the lifetime of Mr. Bergman, proved 
a source of great grief to him ; and although he 
had a consciousness that he did his duty faith- 
fully, yet he was pained at the results, even 
though he was not the cause of bringing them 
about. 

The younger Bergman presided over the 
spiritual interests of the Ebenezer congregations 
for about eight years. If there was any fault 
of which he was guilty, it was too close atten- 
tion to his literary pursuits, to the neglect of 
pastoral visitations and the serious injury of his 
health. He evidently was a very close and in- 
dustrious student, and he laboured to acquire 
a thorough knowledge of every department of 
science and literature. He has left a number 
of treatises on various subjects, including botany, 
meteorology, astronomy, natural philosophy, 
history, poetry, belles lettres, &c. Beside which 
he kept a diary in which are carefully and mi- 
nutely noted all the important events that hap- 
pened in our own country and throughout the 
world, as far as they came to his knowledge. 
His acquirements in the languages and mathe- 
matics were extensive ; and what is remarkable, 



264 THE SALZBUHGERS 



Ills entire education was obtained in his father's 
study. But his paternal instructor was well 
fitted for the task, being himself a man of very 
extraordinary attainments. 

Among the other causes of regret to Mr. 
Bergman, was the indifference which many of 
the Salzburgers began to manifest on the subject 
of education. It had been an object with all 
the pastors at Ebenezer, to keep up good paro- 
chial schools at each of the churches, and for 
many years this was successfully done. Even 
after the Revolution, when the elder Bergman 
came over from Germany a teacher accompanied 
him, as has been stated, and the school at Eben- 
ezer was reorganized and sustained for many 
years. But as the Salzburgers began to remove 
from Ebenezer arid settle upon their farms, they 
gradually lost their interest (or at least in a 
good measure) in the subject of education, and 
many of them permitted their children to grow 
up in comparative ignorance, having very little 
more than the rudiments of the plainest Eng- 
lish education. In this the people have been 
very culpable, especially as there is a fund be- 
longing to the church for the education of those 
children whose parents may see proper to avail 
themselves of it. 

About the year 1830, Mr. Bergman's health 
began to decline ; and it became manifest to his 
friends and himself that his constitution was 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 2G6 



seriously impaired. Nevertheless he endeavoured 
to perform his duties faithfully and cheerfully, 
as far as his strength would permit. In the 
early part of the year 1832, it was evident that 
the season of his probation and ministerial use- 
fulness was drawing to a close. About the 1st 
of March he was compelled to desist from all 
active employments, and about the middle he 
was confined to his bed. He became so reduced 
in the course of a week that he could not speak 
above a whisper. Thus he continued gradually 
to waste away until the 26th of March, 1832, 
when he was gathered to his rest in peace. A 
short time before his death he regained sufficient 
strength to be able to converse with a ministerial 
brother, (Rev. S. A. Mealy) to whom he re- 
marked : " If it is the divine will, I am prepared 
and would rather go now. I feel that for me to 
depart and to be with Christ, is far better. I 
think I can truly say, for me to live is Christ 
and to die is gain. Blessed be the God and 
Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I have no 
doubts. ... I look into the grave v/ithout alarm. 
I believe I can say without dread, to ' corrup- 
tion thou art my father, and to the worm thou 
art my mother and sister.' " He then repeated 
with great energy, while his face was irradiated 
with a heavenly smile, the Christian's hymn of 
triumph: 

23 



206 THE SALZBITRGERS 



^ . " Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife, 

And let me languish into life. 

Lend, lend your wings, I mount, I fly ! 
grave, where is thy victory ? 
death, where is thy sting?" 

With this language upon his lips, he gently fell 
asleep in Jesus, and was gathered to his fathers 
like one "who lies down to pleasant dreams." 
On the 27th of March he was buried in Eben- 
ezer cemetery, adding another to the pious and 
truly godly men who repose in that ancient and 
venerable receptacle of the dead. The congre- 
gation, as an evidence of the high regard which 
was cherished for him, erected a suitable tablet 
to his memory in the cemetery at Ebenezer. 

The Rev. John D. Scheck succeeded Mr. 
Bergman. Mr. Scheck is a native of Maryland. 
In 1831 he removed to South Carolina, and con- 
nected himself with the Lutheran Synod of that 
State. During the first year of his ministry he 
missionated among the destitute congregations 
in the bounds of the synod. He then accepted 
a call to the charge of the Lutheran church in 
St. Matthew's Parish, Orangeburg District, 
South Carolina. From this charge he removed 
to Ebenezer, and served the concrresiation until 
1838, when he resigned and removed for a brief 
period to Alabama. Mr. Scheck's labours were 
duly appreciated by a large portion of the con- 
gregation, and it is believed that his preaching 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 267 



was blessed to the edification of not a few. 
Nothing, however, of specialimportance occurred 
during his connection with the church. 

While Mr. Scheck was pastor, his health and 
that of his family suffered very much during their 
residence at Ebenezer, from the miasma arising 
from the river and swamps. It became neces- 
sary, therefore, to build a new parsonage in the 
pine land, about three miles from Ebenezer. 
This house has been the permanent residence 
of the pastors ever since, and has proved to be 
one of the healthiest locations in all that 
country. At the suggestion of Mr. Scheck, the 
congregation likev/ise improved the church, 
placing in it a new pulpit after the modern 
style, and in other respects rendering the church 
more comfortable and tast}^ in its exterior and 
interior appearance. 

In 1838, the Rev. E. A. BoUcs of Charleston, 
South Carolina, received and accepted a call to 
the Ebenezer charge. Mr. Bolles had been a 
private student of Dr. Bachman's, and subse- 
quently spent two years in the theological semi- 
nary at Lexington, South Carolina. Upon 
leaving the seminary he removed to North Caro- 
lina, where he remained a year, prior to his loca- 
tion at Ebenezer. Mr. Bolles was for several 
years successful as a pastor, and made many 
warm friends at Ebenezer. However, in 1842, 
an attempt was made to introduce and enforce 



THE SALZBURGERS 



the new discipline, adopted by the Synod of 
South Carolina, which was warmly opposed by a 
large number of the members, and resulted in a 
schism, which wellnigh rent the church in twain. 
For this measure there was really no neces- 
sity. Those who attempted to introduce the 
new discipline were no doubt influenced by the 
purest and best motives, but they evidently 
acted unadvisedly. A reform in the church was 
greatly needed ; but those who favoured it, did 
not adopt the most judicious course to effect 
their laudable object. If they had examined 
the archives of the church, they would have 
found a discipline already in existence far supe- 
rior in every respect to the one which they pro- 
posed to introduce, and by planting themselves 
upon that, they might very easily have accom- 
plished their purpose ; and while, by this course, 
they would have fortified their own position, 
they might have disarmed the opponents of the 
discipline of their most powerful arguments 
against the measure. The new discipline was 
evidently adopted unconstitutionally, and it was 
well for all parties that this controversy was 
amicably settled. This was accomplished through 
the agency of Dr. Bachman of Charleston, then 
President of the Synod. In 1843 he visited 
Ebenezer, and calling the whole congregation 
together, the matters in dispute were all dis- 
cussed and an adjustment effected, which was 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 269 



satisfactory to the great majority of the members. 
A few, however, still remained disaffected, and 
several left the church. The strife had been 
very severe, and various documents had been 
presented to the synod, setting forth the views 
of the respective parties ; and it was accomplish- 
ing much for the church, when, after all the 
crimination and recrimination" which had occur- 
red, the dispute was settled upon any terms 
whatever. There was a union effected, but it is 
to be feared it was not a very cordial one. 

Mr. Bolles continued at Ebenezer during the 
remainder of this year; but in 1844, he relin- 
quished "the position and removed to his native 
city. After a short sojourn there, he accepted a 
call to the Beth-Eden charge in Newberry Dis- 
trict, South Carolina. He is now an agent for 
the American Bible Society in South Carolina, 
in which position he is rendering good service 
to the cause of Christ. 

After Mr. Bolles removed from Ebenezer, the 
congregation extended a call to Rev. P. A. Stro- 
bel, at the time principal of a female seminary 
in Savannah. Mr. Strobel is a native of 
Charleston, South Carolina, and a graduate of 
the theological seminary at Lexington, South 
Carolina. The call was accepted, and Mr. Stro- 
bel served the congregation for four years and a 
half. 

During Mr. Strobel's stay at Ebenezer, a new 

23^- 



270 THE SALZBUKGERS 



churcli was built on the Middle Ground Road, 
near the Ogeechee River. This church was de- 
signed for the accommodation of those members 
who had removed so far from Ebenezer that it 
was impracticable for them to attend preaching 
at the parent church. It is believed that this 
measure was the means of saving many mem- 
bers to the Lutheran church, who would other- 
wise have been lost to it, and it also carried 
the means of grace to a very destitute neigh- 
bourhood. 

Mr. Strobel continued at Ebenezer until the 
commencing of the year 1849, when he removed 
to the city of Macon, and accepted an appoint- 
ment as missionary to the few Lutheran families 
who reside in that city. After labouring in this 
field a year, with some prospect of success, it 
was found impossible to prosecute the mission 
successfully, and it was abandoned. The Luthe- 
rans in Macon are mostly Germans, and their 
attachments to the church of their fathers are 
not strong enough to induce them to make the 
necessary sacrifices to build up a congregation. 
Those who make any pretensions to piety at all, 
have become pew-holders and worshippers in 
other churches, and they could not be induced 
to unite cordially in the enterprise of erecting a 
Lutheran church. 

The congreo^ation at Ebenezer was without a 
regular pastor for more than a year, after Mr. 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 271 



Strobel removed to Macon. In the mean time 
the Rev. Ephriam KeiiFer served them as a tem- 
porary supply. Mr. Keiffer was a descendant 
of the Salzburgers, and had united with the 
church in the lifetime of the elder Bergman. 
Being a man of ardent zeal and devoted piety, 
he felt it to be his duty to do something to pro- 
mote the spiritual welfare of the church. En- 
couraged by the pastor, he was induced to hold 
prayer-meetings and deliver exhortations, when- 
ever an opportunity was afforded him. He took 
great interest in the Sabbath-school, and acted 
as superintendent for many years. He was at 
length prevailed upon to apply for license to 
preach. This was readily granted ; for although 
his education was rather limited, yet he was a 
man of excellent natural abilities, and his good 
sense and upright and consistent deportment 
compensated for many other deficiencies. 

While the congregation remained vacant, Mr. 
Kieffer was prevailed upon by his brethren to 
discharge the duties of a pastor, until one could 
be obtained. With great reluctance he com- 
plied with the wishes of the congregation, and 
served them until the beginning of the year 
1851. During this year it pleased God to call 
him away from the scene of his earthly labours. 
After an illness of several weeks, he expired at 
his residence in Effingham county, closing his 
career with great serenity of mind, leaving to 



THE SALZBURGERS 



his family and the church the rich legacy of an 
unblemished Christian character. 

The Rev. George Haltiwanger became the 
pastor at Ebenezer in 1851. Mr. Haltiwanger 
is a native of Lexington district, South Caro- 
lina, and a graduate of the seminary at Lexing- 
ton. Possessing naturally a good mind, which 
he has cultivated with some care, and imbued 
with a spirit of deep piety, he is well calculated 
(if any man is) to succeed in this somewhat dif- 
ficult charge. For it is a melancholy truth, that 
of late years the congregation at Ebenezer has 
become rather hard to suit with a pastor. Mr. 
Bolzius served them for thirty-two years. Mr. 
Rabenhorst for more than twenty years. The 
elder Bergman for thirty -six years. And the 
younger Bergman for eight years. And it is 
worthy of remark, that all the pastors at Eben- 
ezer, up to the time of the younger Bergman, 
(with the exception of Mr. Triebner,) sustained 
the pastoral relation until they were removed by 
death. Since the demise of the younger Berg- 
man, however, up to this date, a period of twen- 
ty-two years, four changes have been made, 
showing an average of a little more than four 
years for each pastor. It cannot always be the 
fault of the minister; the people must necessa- 
rily be more or less to blame, and it would be 
well for them to inquire seriously, prayerfully, 
and candidly, in how far they have unneccessa- 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 273 



rily rendered the situation of the pastor such, 
as to constrain him to leave the congregation, 
for his own peace as well as that of the church. 
A congregation will be made to feel, sooner or 
later, the baneful effects arising from so many 
changes, especially when they are demanded, 
not so much by any want of faithfulness on the 
part of the minister, as by a restless, fault- 
finding, and captious spirit on the part of the 
people. 

Thus far, Mr. Haltiwanger has succeeded in 
giving general satisfaction to the people ; and 
there seems to be a more general interest mani- 
fested on the subject of religion, than for seve- 
ral years. Since his removal to Ebenezer, a 
new church has been erected near the old site 
of Bethel, three miles above Springfield, which 
is very creditable to those who built it. In this 
neighbourhood, particularly, the members have 
always been noted for their piety and the har- 
mony which prevails among them. It may, in 
fact, be regarded as the most interesting and 
flourishing part of the congregation, and this in 
no doubt attributable to the spirit of union which 
always prevails among them. 

In this neighbourhood lived and died the 
venerable J. Gotlieb Snider. He was a soldier 
in the Revolutionary War, having served his 
country faithfully under General Wayne. Fa- 
ther Snider lived to be nearly ninety years of 



274 THE SALZBURGERS 



age. He was contemporary with Messrs. Lembke, 
Rabenhorst, and Bergman, and lived until the 
year 1848. He was a man of ardent piety, en- 
larged benevolence, and strong practical views. 
By his beneficence he relieved many a widow and 
orphan, and sought to render himself a bene- 
factor to all who needed his assistance. As he 
advanced in life, the evidences of the divine 
favour seemed every day to become brighter, 
and his faith and hope increased as he approached 
the end of his long and eventful life. He de- 
lighted to speak of the early days of the colony ; 
of the prosperity of Ebenezer ; of the large and 
attentive congregations that once assembled in 
the old church ; of the piety of the pastors and 
the spirituality of their flock ; and while he 
dwelt upon these scenes, his eyes would fill with 
tears and his countenance beam with holy joy, 
as he would remark, "Oh! I shall soon see 
many of these pious, good old friends in hea- 
ven." He died in full prospect of an inherit- 
ance among the saints in light. May the savour 
of his holy life never be entirely lost ! 

The congregation at Ebenezer, under the judi- 
cious management of the Rev. G. Haltiwanger, 
is making decided advancement. There has been 
a steady increase of the membership, and a gra- 
dual progress in the spirituality of the church. 
The people are beginning to manifest more en- 
larged views of Christian duty, and an expan- 



AND TIIF.TR DESCENDANTS. 



sive benevolence, which augur well for the future. 
As some evidence of this favourable change, the 
church has been recently thoroughly renovated. 
The brick floor has been removed, and a plank 
one substituted. Neat pews have taken the place 
of the old-fashioned "benches," and both the 
interior and exterior of the venerable " Jerusa- 
lem" church have been greatly improved. One 
alteration has, how^ever, been made, which is 
objectionable. The "swan" which once stood 
upon the spire of the church has been taken 
down, and its place is now occupied by a "fish." 
This is in bad taste. If, as has been stated, the 
swan was Luther's coat of arms, it should have 
been permitted to remain as emblematical of the 
distinctive character of the church. Besides, in 
view of the many thrilling associations connected 
with that swan, it ought never have been re- 
moved. It should have stood there as a kind 
of heirloom, connecting the present with all 
the glorious and inspiring recollections of the 
past : reminding us ever of the immortal Re- 
former, and the soul-elevating doctrines he pro- 
claimed ; in defence of which the Salzburgers 
were exiled, and for their propagation and main- 
tenance erected that time-honoured temple upon 
the banks of the beautiful Savannah. Let that 
"fish" come down, and let the old swan resume 
its accustomed place. It stood there for more 
than a century, solitary and alone, weathering 



276 THE SALZBURGERS 



every storm, a witness to all the varied incidents 
■svhich have marked the history of the colony. 
Amid the decay of generations and the muta- 
tions of society, it has been a silent yet eloquent 
monitor, reminding us of the noble moral heroism 
of our ancestors, and bidding us emulate the 
example of those whose attachment to a pure 
and heavenly faith made them the victims of a 
dark and murderous spirit, and drove them upon 
a "willing pilgrimage" in search of that "holy 
ground" where, unawed by human cruelty and a 
blind superstition, the soul might unfold its 
pinions and soar aloft to hold sweet and unfet- 
tered communion with the "Father of spirits." 

In addition to these improvements in the 
church edifice, other measures have been adopted 
to advance the interests of the church, which 
cannot be too highly commended. The congre- 
gation have agreed to call and support an ad- 
junct pastor ; and the Rev. Jacob Austin, a re- 
cent graduate of the seminary of Lexington, 
South Carolina, has already entered upon his 
duties in that relation. Under this arrange- 
ment it would really seem that nothing can be 
wanting, as far as human instrumentality is con- 
cerned, to secure the permanent prosperity of the 
congregation. By a proper division of labour, and 
by harmonious and judicious effort on the part of 
the associate pastors, the several congregations 
can be supplied with preaching upon almost every 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 277 



Sabbath. Catecbetical instruction and pastoral 
visitation, those very important agents in ministe- 
rial success, can be regularly and systematically 
employed ; and the descendants of the Salzburgers 
may yet, under the blessing of God, witness a 
return of that glorious period in the history of 
the church, when under the instruction of two 
pious and faithful pastors, the prayer-meeting, 
the catechetical lecture, and the ministerial con- 
ference shall be resumed, and the shepherds, 
being themselves nourished with " the pure milk 
of the word," and "enriched with all spiritual 
grace," shall be the better prepared to lead this 
precious flock into "the green pastures and be- 
side the still waters," and God shall be their 
God, and dwell with them, even as he dwelt with 
their fathers. 



24 



278 THE SALZBURGERS 



CHAPTER XIIL 

The town of Ebenezer — Its present appearance — The results of 
this experiment at colonization — The colonies in New England, 
Virginia, and the Carolinas — Royal Historical Society of Aus- 
tria — Inquiries as to the fate of the Salzburgers answered — Re- 
ligious and social influence of the Salzburgers upon the other 
colonists — Religious sentiments of the first pastors — Dr. Haze- 
lius's testimony — Present condition and pursuits of their de- 
scendants — Effingham county — General reflections — Conclu- 
sion. 

To one visiting the ancient town of Ebenezer, 
in the present day, the prospect which presents 
itself is any thing but attractive; and the 
stranger who is unacquainted with its history 
would perhaps discover very little to excite 
his curiosity or awaken his sympathies. The 
town has gone almost entirely to ruins. Only 
two residences are now remaining, and even 
one of these is untenanted. The old church, 
however, stands in bold relief upon an open 
lawn, and by its somewhat antique appearance 
seems silently, yet forcibly, to call up the re- 
miniscences of former years. Not far distant 
from the church is the cemetery, in which 
are sleeping the remains of the venerable men 
who founded the colony and the church, and 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 279 



many of their descendants, who, one by one, 
have gone down to the grave, to mingle their 
ashes with those of their illustrious ancestors. 

Except upon the Sabbath, when the descend- 
ants of the Salzburgers go up to their temple 
to worship the God of their fathers, the stillness 
which reigns around Ebenezer is seldom broken, 
save by the warbling of birds, the occasional 
transit of a steamer, or the murmurs of the Sa- 
vannah, as it flows on to lose itself in the ocean. 
The sighing winds chant melancholy dirges as 
they sweep through the lofty pines and cedars 
which cast their sombre shades over this "de- 
serted village." Desolation seems to have spread 
over this once-favoured spot its withering wing, 
and here, where generation after generation 
grew up and flourished, where the persecuted 
and exiled Salzburgers reared their off'spring, in 
the hope that they would leave a numerous pro- 
geny of pious, useful, and prosperous citizens, 
and where every thing seemed to betoken the 
establishment of a thrifty and permanent colony, 
scarcely any thing is to be seen except the sad 
evidences of decay and death. 

While surveying this scene, one is almost in- 
stinctively led to inquire what advantages have 
accrued to the Salzburgers and their descend- 
ants, or to our State, by their removal from their 
fatherland and their settlement in Georgia? 
Have the results of this experiment been such 



280 THE SALZBURG ERS 



as to compensate in any good degree for the 
large expenditures of money and the various 
sacrifices which were necessary to the establish- 
ment of this colony? These questions are very 
proper, and it is hoped that in answering them 
some rays of light will illume the rather cheer 
less picture exhibited above. 

An interest in the history of the Salzburgers 
has been manifested, not only in the United 
States, but also in Europe. A year or two 
since, a letter was received by the Governor of 
Georgia from the Secretary of the Royal Histo- 
rical Society of Austria, in which information 
was sought in reference to the fate of this inte- 
resting people. Among the questions proposed 
were the following : — Did the Salzburgers retain 
their language ? Did they ever change their 
religion? To what extent did they diffuiS-e them- 
selves in Georgia and other portions of America? 
Did they exert any influence upon the civil in- 
stitutions and the religious character of the 
state? Some of these questions have already 
been answered. It has been shown that the Salz- 
burgers gradually acquired the use of the Eng- 
lish language, and in 1824 it was formally 
adopted in public worship in all the congrega- 
tions in and about Ebenezer. It has also been 
stated that many of the Salzburgers forsook the 
church of their fathers at various times, and 
united with other denominations. Nevertheless, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 281 



the great bulk of their descendants have re- 
mained faithfully attached to the religion which 
their ancestors professed with so much moral 
heroism amid the severest persecutions in their 
native land, and to enjoy which, without moles- 
tation, they cheerfully submitted to every form 
of suffering and privation, and even to banish- 
ment and death. The other questions remain 
to be discussed. Various considerations render 
it necessary that they should be briefly con- 
sidered before this little volume is brought to a 
close. 

There is a commendable curiosity which 
prompts many to desire to know to what extent 
the descendants of the Salzburgers have been 
multiplied ? What is their general character 
for intelligence and morality ? What are their 
pursuits ? To what extent and in what depart- 
ments of life have they become distinguished? 
And, in short, in how far have they exerted any 
beneficial influence upon the social and religious 
character of the state ? Besides, there are 
many men so decidedly utilitarian in their views, 
that they regard no enterprise as worthy of 
commendation or patronage which does not 
promise great practical benefits to all who are 
in any wise associated with it. 

In addition to this, the history of the colo- 
nies planted in New England, in Virginia, and 

24*- 



282 THE SALZBttllGERS 



the Carolinas, will no doubt suggest similar in- 
quiries. The Puritans, as has been stated, left 
the impress of their character indelibly fixed 
upon all their institutions. By their industry and 
indomitable energy, they felled the forests, and, 
amid almost inconceivable hardships and dangers, 
brought under successful cultivation a somewhat 
rocky and barren soil ; making it yield them 
not only the necessaries, but even the comforts 
and luxuries of life. They planted churches 
and established colleges and schools, many of 
which remain, until this day, the lasting monu- 
ments of their piety and enlightened liberality. 
In process of time, they engaged in extensive 
and successful commercial enterprises ; and hav- 
ing built up towns and cities, and settled most 
of the adjacent territory with an energetic, in- 
telligent, and virtuous population, they sent out 
their descendants to almost every portion of our 
country ; and wherever the sons of New Eng- 
land are found, they are generally the pioneers 
in commerce, in education, and, in short, in 
every thing which tends to elevate individual 
character and promote the best interests of the 
state. No one can with truth deny that from 
the Pilgrim Fathers there has descended a long 
list of worthy names who have adorned the 
various professions, given dignity to our public 
councils by their wisdom and eloquence, and 
contributed their full quota to the development 



ANB TlIteIR DESCENDANTS. 283 



of every thing that is truly great or glorious in 
national character. 

This is equally true of the colonies of Vir- 
ginia and the Carolinas. The descendants of 
Cavaliers who settled the " Old Dominion," and 
the Huguenots of Carolina, not only built up per- 
manent and extensive settlements, but they also, 
in the course of time, spread themselves over 
many parts of our widely extended domain ; 
and everywhere, they are distinguished for lofty 
intellect, profound statesmanship, heroic bra- 
very, uncompromising attachment to principle, 
and an ardent love of virtue and of liberty. 
Nor have they failed to contribute largely to 
every enterprise which was in any wise calcu- 
lated to increase the commercial importance, 
develop the agricultural resources, and secure 
the safety and prosperity of the country. It 
may be truthfully asserted that their history, 
and that of their descendants, furnish some of 
the brightest and most glorious pages which 
adorn the annals of our country. This is true, 
not only of their struggles and successes, and 
the many thrilling incidents connected with their 
colonial history ; it is equally true in relation to 
the war for Independence, and the bright recol- 
lections w4iich the Revolution awaken, as well 
as the conspicuous part which they have acted 
in all the affairs of our government, in every 
period of its existence. With these considera- 



284 THE SALZBURdERS 



tions pressing upon the mind, the inquiries which 
have been suggested in relation to the Salz- 
burgers are both natural and pertinent, and it is 
proposed to answer them as far as may be prac- 
ticable. 

It would be unreasonable to expect that the 
Salzburgers and their descendants should occupy 
as prominent a place on the page of history as 
the other colonies, and for reasons which are 
very satisfactory. Their language being en- 
tirely different from that spoken in the province 
of Georgia, together with their somewhat pecu- 
liar habits, kept them rather isolated from the 
other inhabitants, and made them measurably a 
distinct colony. Besides, as their location pre- 
vented them from becoming a commercial peo- 
ple, and as they confined themselves almost ex- 
clusively to the pursuits of agriculture, they did 
not possess those facilities for extending their 
settlements and increasing their wealth and their 
influence, which were enjoyed by the other colo- 
nists. It should be remembered, that they were 
poor, houseless w^anderers, who were sent to 
Georgia upon the charity of their Christian 
friends in Europe; and, for many years after 
their arrival, their poverty prevented them from 
doing more than simply providing a competency 
for their families. 

Besides this, the climate was unfavourable to 
the rapid increase of population ; and, during the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 285 



first years of the colony, many of the Salz- 
burgers fell victims to the fevers and other 
diseases which are always more or less inciden- 
tal to southern latitudes, especially when the 
forests are newly cleared. It is true, there were 
many accessions to their numbers by way of emi- 
gration, during the first four or five years after 
the planting of the colony ; yet, from the causes 
already mentioned, the Salzburgers did not mul- 
tiply very rapidly, and their settlements were 
confined to a limited portion of the state. 

It is nevertheless true, that, as far as their 
circumstances would permit, they made every 
efi"ort to identify themselves with the interests 
of the province, and contributed to the best of 
their ability to promote its prosperity. If they 
did not become as distinguished as the other 
colonies in commerce and wealth, and if they 
did not occupy so important and influential a 
position, and if their descendants did not be- 
come as renowned in the cabinet and the field 
as the sons of New England, Virginia, and the 
Carolinas, or even as some of the sons of 
Georgia, yet there is much in the character and 
history of the Salzburgers, which would adorn 
the annals of any country. 

This is true, not only of their transatlantic 
history, with its many incidents of holy devotion 
to the faith of the gospel, under the most 
studied and revolting persecutions ; it is likewise 



286 THE SALZCURGERS 



true of them after their removal to America. 
In circumstances of the severest trial, whether 
suffering from fatigue or hunger, or lying pros- 
trate under the influence of fatal diseases, they 
evinced a degree of Christian fortitude which 
did not fail to make a most favourable impres- 
sion upon their neighbours. If, then, they had 
done nothing more than simply to set an exam- 
ple to the other colonists of holy living, and of 
patient, uncomplaining resignation to the divine 
will ; if the only record which could be made of 
them was, that they were consistent Christians, 
"and adorned the doctrines of God their Saviour 
in all things;" the moral influence of even such 
a record, would entitle them to distinction 
among the benefactors of their race. That such 
was their character, is abundantly proven by all 
who knew them; and in every sketch of the 
early history of Georgia, honourable mention 
has been made of the piety and purity of life 
exhibited by the Salzburgers, and especially by 
their pastors. It may be necessary, however, 
to refer to this subject again. 

In the civil and military affairs of the colony, 
many of the Salzburgers became conspicuous. 
When, in 1775, the Provincial Congress assem- 
bled in Savannah, to adopt measures to protect 
the Province against the unjust and arbitrary 
legislation of the Mother Country, St. Mat- 
thew's Parish, was represented in that Congress, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 287 



in part, by John Stirk, John Adam Treutlin, 
Jacob Waldhaiier, John Fieri, and Christopher 
Cramer, all of whom were Salzburgers. Mr. 
Truetlin also filled the office of Provincial Go- 
vernor, and in all the proceedings which were 
adopted for the preservation of the liberties of 
the Province, the Salzburgers heartily concurred. 
When the Revolution commenced, as has 
already been shown, they took a very decided 
stand in favour of the cause of liberty. In the 
list of persons proscribed by the British Parlia- 
ment as Rebels, occur the names of the follow- 
ing Salzburgers : — J. A. Treutlin, Rebel Gover- 
nor, Col. John Stirk, William Hobzendorf, Ru- 
dolph Strohaker, Samuel Stirk, George Wyche, 
John Schnider, and others. From this it will 
be seen, that in the very incipiency of the Revo- 
lution, they arrayed themselves on the side of 
the Colonists, and were willing to incur all the 
risks connected with that struggle. In every 
emergency they contributed what they could to 
the relief of the Colony, promptly and cheer- 
fully making every sacrifice, and performing 
every duty which seemed to be demanded by 
the welfare of the Province. And, in proportion 
to their ability, no portion of the population did 
more to advance the various interests of the 
country. In short, they became fully identified 
with the Whigs of the Revolution, and in all the 
dangers and sufferings of that memorable epoch 



THE SALZBURGERS 



in our country's history, they bore their full 
share. When the war terminated, they went to 
work, patiently and zealously to cultivate the 
soil, to improve their homesteads, and to repair, 
as far as practicable, the injuries which their 
settlements had suffered, and to restore to the 
Colony the prosperity which it had enjoyed 
prior to the war. In these purposes they per- 
severed, and in process of time they were suc- 
cessful in regaining much that had been lost 
during those troublesome times ; and they saw 
their settlements extending, and their descend- 
ants multiplying, until they spread themselves 
over the whole of the county of Effingham, and 
even into many of the adjacent counties. 

It is proper, before a more minute sketch is 
given of the condition and pursuits of the Salz- 
burgers, that something should be said in refer- 
ence to their religious character, and the doc- 
trines of which the pastors at Ebenezer may 
with propriety be said to have been the expo- 
nents. This is deemed important, not only as 
illustrative of the moral influence which the 
Salzburgers may be supposed to have exerted 
upon the other Colonists ; it is necessary, espe- 
cially to the Lutheran Church, as it will exhibit 
in a proper light, the religious views of the 
founders of American Lutheranism, upon some 
of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity. This 
is rendered the more important, because of the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 289 



tendency of too many professing Christians in 
the present day, to what has been very properly 
called " sacramentalism," or the settling down 
in a cold and lifeless orthodoxy. It is hoped 
that, by exhibiting in a prominent light the 
teachings and experience of the pastors who had 
the spiritual oversight of the Colony of Salz- 
biirgers, many false impressions which now exist 
in relation to the distinctive doctrines of the 
Lutheran Church will be removed, and it will be 
made to appear that our pious ancestors were 
the friends and advocates of a vital, soul-renew- 
ing, and soul-pervading Christianity. A sickly 
sentimentality, which seeks to substitute a specu- 
lative philosophy, or a formal Christianity, for 
the power of a living, active faith, received no 
countenance from them. True, they were 
^* symbolists," in a restricted sense, because they 
subscribed to the Augsburg Confession, and the 
other symbols of the Lutheran Church ; but they 
never gave undue importance to the ordinances 
of religion, while they taught, both by precept 
and example, that true Christianity is a heavenly 
principle implanted in the soul by the Holy 
Spirit; and that, whenever it is experienced, it 
produces a new creation, and conforms the soul 
to the image of Him by whose spirit we are re- 
newed, and made the partakers of a divine inner 
life. 

As illustrative of this vicAV, an extract is sub- 



290 THE ^ALZ BURGERS 



joined from Dr. Hazelius's history of the Ameri- 
can Lutheran Church. He remarks: — "From 
the journals of the ministers labouring among 
the Salzburgers, it is evident that their aim was 
to direct their flock into the narrow path that 
leadeth unto life. Though they were anxious to 
influence the members of their church to the 
observance of an external decorum, and to sub- 
mission to good church discipline; and though, 
according to the testimony of their neighbours, 
the inhabitants of the villages round about them, 
and those of Savannah, as also to that of the 
colonial government, this congregation was dis- 
tinguished in that respect ; and though the pas- 
tors were also desirous that the people should 
be duly aff"ected by the preaching of the word, — 
yet it is evident, from every statement they make, 
that they were labouring to impress this truth 
deeply on the minds of the people, that neither 
an external observance of order, nor an excite- 
ment of mere animal feelings, insures us the 
high title of being the sons and daughters of 
God; but the approach of the heart and mind 
to the character of our great prototype, the 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as to 
have a conscience void of off'ence before God and 
man." 

In this connection, it may be appropriate to 
make a few brief extracts from the letters and 
journal of Mr. Bolzius. In one of his letters 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 291 



he remarks : — " We acknowledge, to the praise 
of God, that piety and contentment still reign 
among us, as even strangers are willing to ac- 
knowledge Among our congregation are 

many men aiid women who are truly converted 
to God, and who walk in the truth, and are an 
ornament to our ojffice, and humble assistants in 
the discharge of our duties." In his journal he 
makes these minutes : — '' Careless and froward 
men are indeed presuming upon Christ and his 
merits, without seeking conversion, but he calls 
those only Avho labour and are heavy laden ; and 
if they come to Christ, anxious for their soul's 
salvation, the tempter will endeavour to deprive 
them of the grace in Christ. We ought, how- 
ever, to lay firm hold on him and his merits, be- 
cause he is not only the beginning, but also the 
finisher of our faith, and his honour is concerned 
to finish the work he has begun." .... In 
another place he remarks: — "It is terrible in- 
deed to offend God with wilful sins, and to sin 

in hopes of his mercy Thousands are 

going to hell while flattering themselves with 
this delusive promise ; and even when the eyes 
of some are truly opened and their hearts con- 
verted to God, and they have received the par- 
don of sins in the order of true repentance and 
faith in Christ, God nevertheless frequently 
causes them to feel the heinousness and guilt of 
Sin. 



292 THE SALZBURGERS 



Mr. Bolzius, in that part of his journal in 
which he furnishes an account of the illness and 
death of his colleague, Mr. Gronau, seems de- 
sirous to lay peculiar stress upon the evidences 
which Mr. Gronau furnished of his acceptance 
with God, and his hope of a better life. This is 
his language : " The time of Mr. Gronau's ill- 
ness has been a source of edification to us who 
were daily about his person. His heart continu- 
ally enjoyed communion with his Redeemer. 
Nothing troubled him, for he tasted the reconci- 
liation with God, and the joy and peace of the 
Holy Ghost. He fell asleep, and entered into 
the joy of his Lord, full of peace." 

It would be easy to furnish many such ex- 
tracts, all going to show that the first pastors at 
Ebenezer were men of devoted piety, and that 
they were not only themselves the subjects of 
the renewing, transforming power of the Holy 
Spirit, but that in all their preaching, as well as 
in their private instructions, they laboured to 
inculcate a religion which <' new creates the 
soul" in the likeness of God, and produces a 
radical change in our whole moral constitution. 
So that, under the influence of this new princi- 
ple, we become the children of God, receive 
"the spirit of adoption," and are enabled "to 
walk in all his ordinances and commandments 
blameless." 

This is true not only of Messrs. Bolzius and 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 293 



Gronau, but also of Messrs. Lembke, Kabeu- 
liorst, and Bergman. It is true, there are very 
few facts in the history of the two former which 
have been preserved, but enough is known to 
warrant the opinion just expressed. Those who 
knew Mr. Lembke personally, bear testimony 
to his humble piety and faithful dealing with the 
souls committed to his trust. Mr. Bolzius, in 
his journal, speaks of "the excellent spirit" 
which Mr. Lembke always exhibited, and com- 
mends him for his unremitting diligence in the 
discharge of every duty. This was likewise the 
case in relation to Mr. Rabenhorst. Not only 
does Mr. Bolzius speak favourably of him for 
his zeal, humility, and great diligence as a pas- 
tor, but Dr. H. M. Muhlenburg, in his Journal 
of a Voyage to Georgia, mentions him in the 
most flattering terms, as a man and a Christian, 
and especially as a faithful and devoted pa:stor. 
Dr. Muhlenburg instances as a peculiarity in 
Mr. Rabenhorst's preaching, that he insisted on 
the doctrine of the neiv birth, and was decidedly 
evangelical in all his views and feelings. The 
same statement may be made of Mr. Bergman. 

From all this it will appear, that the religious 
sentiments inculcated by the pastors at Eben- 
ezer, and which they enforced by their own ex- 
perience and example, were decidedly in favour 
of practical, experimental godliness. They be- 
lieved and taught that trite religion has its seat 
25* 



294 THE SALZBURGERS 



only in the soul ■which has been born from above ; 
that in every soul thus renewed Christ dwells 
by his Spirit, imparting new life and energy to 
our spiritual nature; and thus becoming the 
great fountain of our strength, and hope, and 
joy, he reigns in us as the grand controlling 
motive of all our noblest purposes and loftiest 
aspirations, and leads us from one attainment in 
righteousness and holiness to another, until we 
are made meet for " the inheritance among the 
saints in light." 

In fact, the whole of the early history of the 
Salzburgers is but an exemplification of this 
great doctrine of Christianity. This was true 
of them while they dwelt in their native valleys 
and mountains. It was for their bold and un- 
compromising attachment to a pure and holy 
faith — a " faith that works by love and purifies 
the heart" — that they became the objects of the 
most cruel and unrelenting persecutions. For 
maintaining this faith they were driven from 
their country and their homes, and cast upon 
the charities of their Christian brethren. Amid 
scenes of the severest trial and suffering, they 
demonstrated the sustaining power as well as the 
comforting influences of that heaven-born Chris- 
tianity, for the enjoyment of which " they took 
gladly the spoiling of their goods," and became 
pilgrims and sojourners in the earth. When the 
good providence of God delivered them from the 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 295 



hands of their enemies, and brought them safely 
to a land where they could enjoy their religion 
unawed by human restraint, they erected their 
temples, and from their pulpits, and by their ex- 
amples of holy living, and their peaceful and 
triumphant death, they furnished fresh evidences 
of the importance of this great fundamental 
doctrine in the Christian system. If, then, the 
history of the Salzburgers, both in Europe and 
after their removal to Georgia, had done nothing 
more than furnish illustrations of the reality 
and the power of this vital principle of Chris- 
tianity, they would be justly entitled to a promi- 
nent place among those who, by becoming living 
witnesses to the truth of Christianity as a re- 
newing and sustaining principle, have furnished 
some of the strongest encouragements to our 
faith and hope, and some of the most powerful 
incentives to the conscientious discharge of 
Christian duty, even under the most adverse cir- 
cumstances. That such was the influence which 
the Salzburgers exerted is proven by the testi- 
mony of Wesley and Whitfield, and all who had 
an opportunity to acquire a correct knowledge 
of their religious opinions and character; and 
whenever the Christian shall search the records 
of the church in modern times to discover in- 
stances of moral heroism in the maintenance of 
our holy religion, and of humble, devoted piety, 
the history of the Salzburgei'S may be confi- 



THE SALSBURGERS 



dently appealed to as furnishing some of the 
brightest and most striking examples. 

This is likewise true of the social influence 
which they exerted. In their habits they were 
frugal, temperate, and industrious. They knew 
very little of the artificial wants of life, and 
hence were easily contented when supplied with 
its necessaries. Having an unwavering confi- 
dence in the providential care of their heavenly 
Father, they laboured cheerfully and hopefully 
amid the most discouraging circumstances, and 
thus set an example to the other colonists which 
was not without its influence. As a consequence, 
the colonial authorities frequently commended 
their habits of diligence, sobriety, honesty, and 
general virtue. To the cultivation of their lands 
and the improvement of their homesteads they 
devoted themselves with great assiduity, so that 
they became successful farmers, and their settle- 
ments were always spoken of as models of neat- 
ness, and their farms furnished the best speci- 
mens of profitable tillage. In their intercourse 
with the other colonists they exhibited a friendly 
and peaceable disposition. In their business 
transactions they were generally just and up- 
right, and never compromitted their Christian 
integrity for any temporary worldly gains. In 
all the relations of life they were dutiful, and 
sought to display the influence of Christianity 
ir so regulating human conduct as to make our 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 29' 



social intercourse a source of happiness as weU 
as of mutual improvement. To such an extent 
did the spirit of peace reign among them, that 
for many years they had no courts of justice, 
and referred all disputed matters to the arbitra- 
tion of their pastors and the elders of the 
church. It is a remarkable fact in the history 
of Effingham county, that there has generally 
been so little litigation among the inhabitants, 
that until within the last few years, it was a rare 
thing for a session of the Superior Court to con- 
tinue more than two days. From these state- 
ments, it is manifest that the influence which the 
Salzburgers exerted upon the religious and social 
interests of the colony were decidedly beneficial, 
and their conduct in these particulars will ever 
form a bright page in the colonial history of 
Georgia. 

It would be diflicult to ascertain to what ex- 
tent the descendants of the Salzburgers have 
been multiplied, and in what localities they are 
to be found. Their principal settlement is in 
Effingham county, Georgia, which constituted 
formerly a part of the parishes of St. Philip and 
St. Matthew. This county was the seat of the 
colony when the Salzburgers emigrated to 
Georgia. It has the Savannah river for its east- 
ern boundary. The length of the county is thirty 
miles, and its breadth sixteen, and it contains 
about four hundred and eighty square miles. 



298 THE SALZBURGERS 



The principal streams, besides the Savannah and 
Ogeechee rivers, are the Big and Little Eben- 
ezer, Turkey Branch, Jack's, Lockner's, and 
Kogler's creeks, or more properly branches. 
The population is about four thousand, including 
one thousand six hundred slaves. Of the white 
population, fully nineteen-twentieths are the 
lineal descendants of the Salzburgers ; and it is 
pleasing to state, that they retain many of the 
characteristics of their forefathers. They are for 
the most part an industrious, frugal, and peace- 
able people, and are doing much in developing 
the resources of their county. 

Their chief pursuits are the tillage of the soil, 
and the getting of wood and timber for the Sa- 
vannah market. They have been successful in 
raising silk on a small scale, and in the cultiva- 
tion of the sugar-cane. The majority of them 
make their own sugar and syrup, and some of 
them produce these articles for market. They 
also pay considerable attention to the rearing 
of cattle and poultry, and the raising of fruits 
and vegetables, for which they always find ready 
sale in Savannah. Their lands, for the most 
part, are not well adapted to cotton, and hence 
but little is cultivated: the annual average 
amount being about three hundred and fifty 
bales, and a very small portion of this is pro- 
duced by the Salzburgers. The articles to which 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 209 



they direct their attention are rice, corn, rye, 
peas, potatoes, and wheat. The two latter, under 
the system of culture adopted by the Salzbur- 
gers, succeed admirably well. It is often the 
case that thirty bushels of wheat are obtained 
from an acre, though this is very far beyond the 
average crop. 

Besides the pursuits of agriculture, many of 
the Salzburgers are excellent mechanics, and 
there is a family that has become celebrated for 
the manufacture of copper bells. These bells 
always command a higher price in Savannah 
than any which are imported either from North- 
ern or European markets. Some of the Salz- 
burgers have also become distinguished mer- 
chants. In the city of Savannah m.any of them 
are settled, who have been very successful. 
Among these are the Rahns, the Sniders, the 
Heidts, the Zittrauers, the Herbs, the Gougles, 
the Remsharts, the Neidlingers, the Ihleys, and 
others. It is not known that any of them have 
become distinguished in the professions. 

It is necessary to state, that the descendants 
of the Salzburgers (as has been already inti- 
mated) settled in many of the counties of Geor- 
gia, and some of them removed to South Caro- 
lina, Alabama, Florida, and even to Pennsylva- 
nia and Ohio. In Liberty and Lowndes coun- 
ties, Georgia, may be found the Dashers, the 



rOO THE SALZBURG ERS 



Waldhauers, the Weisenbakers, and others. In 
Macon county the Helfensteins, (now Helvenston;) 
in other portions of the state, the Hangleiters, 
the Scheubtriens, the Hineleys, the Exlejs, and 
the descendants of the Sniders, who have inter- 
married with other families in the state. It 
would be impossible, however, to give any thing 
like an accurate account of the diffusion of 
the Salzburgers, and this hasty sketch must 
suffice. 

It has been remarked that very few, if any, 
of the descendants of the Salzburgers, ever be- 
came distinguished in the professions. This may 
be owing in a great measure to the fact that, as 
a general thing, the standard of education among 
the descendants of the Salzburgers has been 
rather low, especially in the last fifty years, 
though it is believed that latterly there has been 
some improvement in this particular. Besides 
this, very few of them seemed to have any taste 
for literary pursuits ; and having no college, and 
very few good scholars, there was an absence of 
all those stimulants w4iich are necessary to 
quicken the intellect into vigorous exercise, and 
excite that ambition for literary fame which 
leads the mind to thirst after professional dis- 
tinction. The tastes and educational biasses of 
the Salzburgers seem always to have led them 
to prefer the quiet and unobtrusive, though not 



AND THEIR DESCEKDANTS. 301 



less useful and honourable, pursuits of agricul- 
ture. In the retirement and comparative seclu- 
sion connected with the culture of the soil, and 
kindred employments, thej find their chief en- 
joyment ; especially as this mode of life seems 
of all others the best adopted to the fostering 
of that pious and contemplative spirit which has 
ever been one of their peculiar characteristics. 
In this connection it may be proper to state a 
somewhat remarkable fact, that not one of the 
descendants of the Salzburgers ever aspired to 
the ministry in the Lutheran Church, and not 
one of them ever became the pastor at Ebenezer, 
except the Rev. C. F. Bergman. But even he 
can hardly be classed among the Salzburgers. 
It is true that his father was pastor at Ebenezer 
for thirty-six years, but yet he was a native of 
Prussia, and had no identity with his congrega- 
tion except that growing out of the pastoral 
relation. 

The present condition of the descendants of 
the Salzburgers, especially in Effingham county, 
may be regarded on the whole as rather favour- 
able. In their temporal aff*airs they are pros- 
perous, perhaps as much so as at any former 
period, and there is a gradual improvement in 
their intelligence and social habits. They are 
becoming by degrees more interested in the 
cause of education, and books and periodical 

26 



802 THE SALZBURGERS 



literature are sought with considerable avidity. 
As a consequence, there has been an improve- 
ment in their manners and social habits, and 
there is reason to hope that in these particulars 
an advancement will be made in each successive 
generation, so that they may keep pace with the 
citizens of other portions of the State in every 
thing that tends to refine and elevate. These 
desirable ends can be attained, if proper efforts 
are made to establish and sustain neighbourhood 
schools, under the management of competent 
teachers. This has for years been a great de- 
ficiency among the Salzburgers. It is true there 
is a most excellent classical academy at Spring- 
field, the county town, but this does not and 
cannot meet the educational wants of the com- 
munity generally. Upon this subject, so very 
important to the best interests of every people, 
there has been manifested an indifi'erence which 
is any thing but commendable. No community 
can expect to prosper long, or to retain any of 
the elements necessary to its advancement in 
true greatness, that does not cherish a just ap- 
preciation of the advantages of a liberal system 
of education. It matters not how favourable 
the state of religion among any people may be ; 
unless their mental development corresponds in 
some good measure with their religious privileges, 
their piety will degenerate into a blind devotion, 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 303 



or run into some of the numerous forms of fana- 
ticism or delusion which are always addressing 
themselves to the over-credulous and unwary. 
It is to be hoped, therefore, that a more enlight- 
ened policy will obtain among the descendants 
of the Salzburgers, in reference to the import- 
ance of furnishing to their offspring the neces- 
sary educational facilities. For this they have 
a precedent in the example of their forefathers, 
for it has been made to appear that they enter- 
tained correct views upon this subject, and re- 
garded the schoolmaster and the parochial school 
as only next in importance to the pastor and the 
church. 

The state of religion among the descendants 
of the Salzburgers may be said to be encourage- 
ing. Among a portion of them, rather lax views 
are entertained on the subject of experimental 
piety, and as a consequence their religion con- 
sists more in a "formal godliness," and a decent 
morality, than in that inward work of the Spirit 
which converts the soul, and, by purifying the 
fountain of human actions, conforms the life to 
the requirements of that law which is «'holy 
and just and right." Yet, even in this particu- 
lar, there is much cause for encouragement. 
Within a few years, there has been a manifest 
change in the religious sentiments of not a few, 
and there is reason to believe that a more devo- 



304 THE SALZBURGERS 



tional spirit is gradually, though perceptibly, 
prevailing among them. True, the standard of 
piety is far below what it ought to be, and what 
it was in the early days of the colony ; but still 
in the congregations there are many devout 
Christians, the savour of whose conversation is 
exerting a silent but powerful influence upon the 
moral interests of the church and the community 
generally. It is confidently hoped that this in- 
fluence will continue to extend itself until the 
present generation, and those which may succeed 
it, shall make the highest attainments in moral 
excellence, and imbibing more and more of the 
Spirit of Christ, shall become as distinguished 
for their spirituality and holy living as were the 
godly men who in the fear of God, and from a 
sincere love to a pure Christianity, laid the 
foundation of the colony. There is ground for 
this hope, in the fact that the Salzburgers are 
enjoying the labours of two pious and devoted 
pastors, whose teachings and example, under the 
Divine blessing, have already exerted a very 
happy influence, and aff'ord promise of greater 
results for the future. Besides this, it is not to 
be supposed that the great Head of his church 
will permit this vine, which he himself planted 
and watered and nourished for so many years, 
to wither and decay. The pious care with which 
it has hitherto been cultivated, and the genial 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 305 



showers of grace which from time to time have 
poured upon it, will, it is believed, produce an 
abundant harvest, to the praise of his name, who 
has declared in relation to his church : — " Be- 
hold ! I have graven thee upon the palms of my 
hands, and thy walls are ever before me." From 
this people there shall no doubt yet come forth 
many who will become living witnesses to the con- 
verting power of the gospel, and to the faith- 
fulness of that God who safely led their fathers 
through scenes of the darkest persecution and 
distress, and gave them, both in the land of their 
nativity and the land of their adoption, so many 
signal evidences of his love and fostering care. 
Such will be the case if the descendants of the 
Salzburgers are not recreant to the history of 
their fathers, and insensible to all those noble 
impulses which prompt mankind to venerate and 
to imitate the virtues of a noble ancestry. 
That they had an ancestry whose history is 
luminous with every thing that is attractive in 
humble and consistent piety, or stimulative in 
moral heroism and uncompromising attachment 
to religious principle, cannot be questioned. 
Surely, then, if there is any inspiration in the 
records of the virtuous and holy dead, if there 
is any thing suggestive of lofty purpose, of love 
for God and his truth, and of zeal to promote his 
glory in the education and proper development 

26* 



306 THE SALZBURG ERS 



of our own spiritual natures, or in the religious 
advancement of our race, the example of the Salz- 
burgers cannot and will not be lost. The seeds 
of virtue and true religion may for a season 
seem to be destroyed, or they may be buried 
amid the rubbish of a formal Christianity, or 
chilled by the blighting influence of a cold ortho- 
doxy, but such is the inherent, vital energy of 
truth, that it will break through all these obsta- 
cles, and triumphing over every opposing influ- 
ence, produce its legitimate fruits in the hearts 
and lives of men, and thus vindicate its claims 
to their confidence and homage. 

It is the object and the earnest prayer of the 
humble author of this volume, that the history 
of the Salzburgers may be productive of some 
such beneficial results. If so, he will feel that 
the time spent in the preparation of this work 
has been most profitably employed. While he 
laboured at Ebenezer in the pastoral ofiice, he 
delighted to visit the cemetery where sleep the 
remains of the venerable Bolzius and Gronau, 
and the many holy men who founded the colony 
at Ebenezer. Standing in that sacred receptacle 
of the dead, and musing upon their example of 
ministerial fidelity and of entire consecration to 
the cause of Christ, he has felt rebuked for his own 
imperfections, and has had the desire kindled in 
his heart to become a more devoted Christian and 



AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. 307 



a more faithful and successful ambassador of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Alas ! how far do many of us, 
both in our experience and practice, fall below 
the example of the pious founders of our Luthe- 
ran Zion ! and how infinitely far do we fall be- 
low His example, "who loved us and gave him- 
self for us!" If such reflections are awakened 
as shall lead to some practical benefits to the 
Salzburgers and others, this history will not 
have been written in vain. That such will be 
its influence, is confidently hoped ; and in this 
confidence it is sent forth, with the prayer that 
God may make it a source of instruction and 
edification to all who may read it. Surrounded 
as we are by temptation to sin, and by the 
seductive charms of a corrupt and corrupting 
world, we need constant stimulants to our vir- 
tues. Where can we more appropriately look 
for such incentives than in the faith and zeal, 
the holy fervour and consistent piety, of those 
Christians who, by their devotedness, have 
illustrated the truth, the excellency, and the 
moral sublimity of our holy religion ? Such in- 
centives are furnished in the History of the 
Salzburgers. As we dwell upon the incidents 
of this history, and the many instances which it 
furnishes of the power of our holy religion to 
sustain and comfort under the most trying and 
adverse circumstances of human life, and to 



308 THE SALZBURGERS. ' f S' 



prepo,re the soul for a peaceful and happy 
triumph over death, hell, and the grave, may 
our faith in that religion he confirmed, may our 
zeal and love and hope be quickened into live- 
lier exercise, and thus may we be better qualified 
for the trials and responsibilities of life, and 
prepared to join <^the general assembly and 
church of the first-born, whose names are written 
in heaven!" 



THE END. 



STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO. 
FfilLASELPHIA. 



